Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs - Senate

Let's call the meeting to order. Appreciate everyone being here today. We're going to get started. We've been looking forward to this, this time with the with the transportation to to start seeing some bills and to see what we can do for the great state of Arkansas. We're going to start out with the Senator Boyd, SB 16. Thank you, Mr. Chair. May I begin? Thank you. So Senate Bill 16 regards shooting at a train knowingly discharging a firearm at a train and so this is one of the things we had the 2nd Amendment Task Force go through, uh, in the game and fish subcommittee of ALC. We had a 2nd Amendment task force in every statute regarding a firearm was heard. And so when this one came up, my question was, well, when was this written, and it was written in 1893. And so what you might notice in the strikeout language is that. The fine was $25 up to $250 and so from 1893, uh, you do a little math and I, there's probably not a perfect way to do it, but I found a calculator that estimates that $250 from 1893 is $8,0766.66 dollars 81 cents today. Um, and of course $25 would be 10% of that, so it'd be anywhere from 866 all the way up to not quite $9000 in today's dollars. So what this does is it simply proposes that we update it. So what we suggested that we update it to is to change it to a class A misdemeanor, um, a class A misdemeanor in case you're like me and didn't know exactly what a class A misdemeanor is. is a, um, it's a fine not exceeding $2500 in a sentence of imprisonment not exceeding one year. So again, it's a misdemeanor, so no more than one year. So that's what this does is it was a recommendation or a consensus from the, uh, the gaming fish Second Amendment Task Force to update this statute from 1893, uh, as you have in front of you today. Happy to try to answer any questions. Cents, you've heard the bill. Do we have any questions? Central Love, I didn't see you over there. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I guess, uh, Senator Boyd, this is my concern. I'm, I'm in agreeance with the discharge of firearm, but it says throwing objects. And that's That, that's where I guess I have just a slight bit of concern now. I don't, I don't, I guess I don't see somebody throwing an object at a train. I mean, it's kind of like a foreign concept to me, but Um I guess I, I, I, that's, that's where I was thinking that the the firearm exchange I'm with, but uh just throwing something at a train that could be a pretty excessive like just say for instance, kids are whatever throwing rocks, she's throwing rocks at a train. You know, even at 1819 year old throwing rocks at the train or something like that. And the penalty could be $2500. That's, that's, I mean, I don't, I don't know if he even thought about it like that. I know that you're that we're talking about farms right here, but it says firearms or throwing objects in a row, a railroad. So I guess that's the concern that I have about the making it a class A misdemeanor. So I hear you and on some level, I share your concern, but I, what I would say is one, this is nothing but an update. To that, and if we updated it, the fine would be even more than $2500 OK? Second of all, what I would hope is that we have prosecutorial discretion in some prosecutors not going to You know, hang a kid out to dry because he was just. Doing something silly, right? I think that this is here to, you know, say if we, we have something serious, so that, that's what I would hope is that prosecutorial discretion would be in place. Well, it is in place, and I would hope a good prosecutor would would use that. OK. All right, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Sandra. Any other questions? Seeing none, what is the will of the committee. The motion do pass, uh, Senator Stone, seconded by Senator Dees. Any discussion All those in favor say aye. All those opposed same sign. I did pass. Congratulations, Senator. Next we have Senator Wallace. SB 45. So That one that one. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Senator Dave Wallace, District 19 and I have with me today Miss Gina Chandler, who is the director of Veterans Affairs Veteran Services. And has been a long time uh Aid to all of us in helping our veterans. Remember this Bills very simple bill we want to issue the 20,000 or make available to 20,000. Women veterans in the state of Arkansas, their license plate. In order to do that, we have to retire a license plate. The license plate that I am proposing to retire is a Pearl Harbor survivor license plate, some background information on that. There's only 16 surviving Pearl Harbor veterans throughout the country. The Arkansas Department of Finance currently has 125 Pearl Harbor survivor plates. That's back up, so we're more than more than covered. What happens every year. Our female veterans, the numbers increase. The women serving in the military. Increases as a commanding officer in the military years ago, my units would not have been fully mission capable without our female soldiers in those positions when they come out, they, they Have the option of getting the veteran's plate, but what happens, and I think this has happened to Mrs. Schindler is people will come up to their husband and say thanks for your service. In many cases, the husband never served. So this is, this is my opinion, a very good bill. Um, It is going to be funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs until we recoup the money we're going to recoup it at $15 a plate, and the really good part of this is $5.15 will go immediately to Female veteran programs and once the debt is retired. to the Department of VA. All $15. Madison admin calls will go to help our female veterans with issues that they have unique to them. And with that, I will stand by for any questions that you may have. Thank you, Sandra Wallace. Senator Brown, do you have a question? Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to make sure I'm clear, so like a veteran's plate that probably you and I have, that is, it's a minimal fee for renewal. I it's like $3.50 annually for renewal as opposed to with the general population will pay, so the fee that you propose of $15 is a one time. then once you get the plate upon renewal, it falls back into the normal veterans program or is it? No, I think it will stay at 15, and that will, uh, be money that eventually set aside for our female veterans. So they have 15 a year. 15 1 time. I'm sorry. OK, so it is the one, the one time fee and then it goes into the veterans. OK, thanks. Yes, sir. The secret is So is that how it normally works? There's a, do we attach an additional fee to most of those license plates. I'm just trying to I believe Ms. Tinner can answer that question. So yes, sir, there is a fee. I know that the Department of Veterans Affairs gets a portion of that fee to do honor services for our veteran to pay honor guards to do services, um, with the renewal fees that we get. Just like. We want y'all to come forward and answer. Please introduce yourself for the record. Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the committee, Ali Austin Smith, I'm chief counsel of the Revenue division of DFA. So, I'll try to answer the questions that were asked, and then if I, if I don't, um, for sure the the fee is just for the initial plate and, and you were correct, Senator Bryant, the renewal fee is just the $1 but of course those those fees, that is standard, that there would be a design to use contribution fee for these types of special plates, and those will go to recouping the money and then after the money is fully recouped by any money spent by DFA and any money spent by Veterans Affairs, then those funds will go to the, to the services. What so what do we, what do you think the total of that would be? So I think you're, you're your amount you could probably get to pretty easy because we've done it so many times. What does the anti, what should the VA expect or anticipate for their total cost to be. They're anticipating that their total upfront cost will be $20,000. That should cover the design of the plate, the programming charges to our system, etc. etc. Senator Bryant. There we go. So just, uh, all the other. plates from disabled veteran all the way through line 15 for endearing freedom is that consistent? Is the $15 consistent with those programs as well per plate. I, I think it's about consistent in that range from $10 to $15 at most. OK, thanks. Central Thank you, Mr. Chair and Gina, it's good to see you. Thank you for the work that you're doing. And now I may have missed this. How many, how many women veterans do we have in the state of Arkansas, 20,000. OK, and so now we're gonna design a license plate. The fee is going to be covered now. Talk to me again about the the fee that's gonna be remitted like how, how much they're gonna recruit. So typically the, the rooms that will. My apologies I'm, I'm thinking of it like a personalized license plate. Is that the same, that's not the OK, we're not. Gina saying no, it's a little bit different, so essentially they will do the upfront costs that it's not a personalized license plate in that they would they would have to come up with what they're designed for their plate is going to be, you know, the newest plate that's being designed is the Central High School plate. So of course that one we're still in a in a design going back and forth making sure that everybody's good with the design, so the same same process would be here where everyone would make sure before it actually goes out and we create the plates to have them available at the revenue offices that is approved by everyone and that then they would be available and so when an individual, when a veteran comes in to get the plate, they'll pay the the regular fees and then the $15 design new contribution, and that'll essentially pay their back their $20,000. Got you. OK. All right. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Any other questions? We do have someone here to speak for the bill. Miss Holly that is coordinator. OK. Thank you. Question, go ahead, Senator Scott. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Quick question, how do y'all think you will determine or I was over the license plates for my sorority. So we ran into the issue where people were going in trying to get the license plates that weren't members of our sororities. Do you think you will run into issues or will it be a problem? like how are they supposed to say that they're a veteran when they have to provide some kind of documentation across the state as they're going to the different revenue offices or are you even concerned about people getting the license plates who aren't women veterans in the state, so when we go get veteran's license plate or we have to show our uh proof of service, um, to get it on our vet to get it on our driver's license and to obtain the plates. That's a DFNA collects a copy of our DD-214 or discharge papers, so they would have to follow that same protocol in order to get those plates and the workers at They're already doing it currently correctly. Thank you. Any other questions? Seeing none, what is the will of committee. Have a new pass was central love second by Senator Bryant. All those in favor of Du pass. Sieg was saying I opposed the same time. I had a congratulations sent your bill passed. I en Penzo here or. Central Hester, are you gonna run the bill? Nope. OK, seeing no other, uh, no other business meeting is adjourned. Oh.