Senate Convenes

The Senate will be called to order. Are there any requests for leave at this time. Senator letting, you're recognized. Was. Leave. Thank you. Madam Secretary, please call the roll. Oh, I'm sorry, Senator Hester, you're recognized. Leave for Senator Bryant. Thank you. Any others? Seeing no others, Madam Secretary, please call the roll. Boyd Bright on leave Caldwell, Clark, Crowell, Davis, Des, Dema, Datsun, English, Flippo, flowers, Gilmore, Hammer, Hester, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, Blake Johnson, Mark Johnson, King on leave, letting, love, McKee, Murdoch, Payton, Penzo, Petty, rice, Scott. down Stubberfield, Sullivan, Tucker, Wallace. Thank you, Madam Secretary. If everyone in the chamber and in the galleries would please rise for a prayer led by Senator Petty, followed by the Pledge of allegiance. Senator, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we just, uh, we want to humbly bow before you today and, and just press the pause button. Our lives get so busy and our work here on behalf of the people just seems to get faster and faster, but we want to stop and acknowledge you and for all that you provide for us and, and to continue asking for wisdom and guidance and peace and mercy. We pray Heavenly Father, that as we continue to lead that we would do so and that everything that we do would bring on there and glory to you for your word. We ask all of this in your son's name. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Senator Petty, for those words. Ladies and gentlemen in the galleries, welcome to your Arkansas Senate. It is our expectation that each of you will exercise proper decorum and govern yourselves accordingly during today's proceedings. Without objection, the rules will be suspended and the Senate will dispense with the reading of the journal, The Morning Hour has now begun. Are there any announcements or introductions at this time. Senator Gilmore You are recognized. OK Right. Thank you, Madam President. Members, just some uh updates on the upcoming bill deadlines for certain healthcare legislation set out in Joint Rule 15. Uh, this is mostly dealing with scope of practice bills. That deadline is January 27th, 2025, retirement legislation is January 31st, 2025, and bills affecting EBD health plans, January 30th of 2025, uh, just wanted to make sure everyone, this comes from BLR want to make sure everyone's aware of that. If you have any questions. You can either get with me or you can contact BLR, and I think we can probably email these out to all the members as well just to make sure they're all aware. But thank you. Thanks, Senator Gilmore. Any other announcements at this time? Seeing no others, Madam Secretary, are there items at the desk? Yes, for your committee on insurance commerce, who was first Senate Bill 70 by Senator Hickey. Recommend due pass. Calendar Committee on Insurance Commerce, to whom we was referred to Senate Bill 76 by Senator Blake Johnson recommended DuP pass calendar. There's no further business to come before the body in the morning hour, the morning hour has expired. We will now begin the business agenda. We will begin with Senate Bill 13. Senate Bill 13 by Senator Wallace. To amend the law concerning civil actions brought by certain victims of sexual abuse and to allow a claim to be brought for injured injury caused by child sexual abuse at any time in certain circumstances. Senator Wallace, you're recognized. Thank you, Governor. Members, this is the amendment to a bill, a good bill that we wrote 2 years ago. It, uh Regards the money that was set aside nationwide, uh, as a result of Boy Scouts and the sexual abuse issues that occurred there. There's money set aside for every state. Um We have about 500 individuals, so there were children that were that are affected by this. There's an ongoing lawsuit in the state of Arkansas. That is trying to turn over our, our ruling, our law that established, uh, the right of the victims to sue the sexual predators. All this bill does. is it protects money already awarded to the state of Arkansas for those victims. As the law's written now, if it's overturned. That money will go to Texas or Michigan or or California. All this does is ensure that this money stays in Arkansas. For our victims. And, and with that, I'll stand by and answer your questions. Thank you, Senator Wallace. Any questions for the senator? Saying no questions. Does anyone wish to speak against or for. See now. Now one, Senator, you are free to close. The senator has closed. Oh. Senator Hickey, you're recognized even though the senator has closed, but I will recognize you as senator's blessing. I'm sorry. You're good. OK, can you hear me? I can just, just one thing right here. And again, this may not be something that you can answer. I see that we've got in here that is uh I'm for this legislation, so I don't want that to be, but I do see that it says it applies to everything retroactively. So in the event that a let's just say that some court Decides that it couldn't be, couldn't be applied retroactively. Do we need a clause with this, with within this that then says that the rest of this statute would remain in place, or will that be automatic? What's, you know, do we have the severability do we need a severability clause. So that's my only thing is if if somebody was to say that something couldn't be declared retroactive. I think that we would want the rest of the language to stay in place, and I'm just not knowledgeable enough on that if, if it would or wouldn't. I, that's a great question. I run this through probably a dozen lawyers, BLR, and I'm convinced that this applies just to that money currently sitting in that pot for the our children. former children of Arkansas, right? Since it's a Senate bill, if, if that was to be the case, I know they could amend it on the House end. So I mean, I'm fine with going ahead. I would just, just as a further protection if we were to need that, uh, you know, maybe they could amend it on the house and then we could bring it back. I would agree with that. OK, thank you, sir. Yes, sir. Thanks, Senator. Senator has closed. Sorry. Any objection to rolling the vote, hearing and seeing none, Madam Secretary, please roll the boat. Boy, right on leave Caldwell, Clark, Crowell, Davis, Des, Dima, Dotson, English Flippo, flowers, Gilmore, Hammer, Hester, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, Blake Johnson, Mark Johnson, King on leave, letting love, McKee, Murdoch, Peyton, Penzo, Petty, rice, Scott, Stone, Stabberfield, Sullivan. Tucker Wallace. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Any senator who wishes to change his or her vote or vote who did not vote. Seeing no one, please cast up the ballot. By a vote of 33 yeah and zero name. Senate Bill 13 passes. Please transmit to the house. We will now take up House Bill 1001. House 1001 by house management, and act for the Arkansas House of Representatives of the ninety-fifth General Assembly appropriation for the 2024, 2025 fiscal year. Senator Hammer, you're recognized. Madam President, the companion bill that allows the House to be able to operate, pay their expenses like our Senate bill. I'll be glad to answer any questions. Any questions for Senator Hammer? Seeing no questions. Anyone wish to speak against or for? Senator, you are free to close. The senator has closed. Any objection to rolling the vote. That an objection roll it. Alright, Madam Secretary, please roll the boat. Boen brought on leave Caldwell Clark, Crowell, Davis, these Dema Dotson, English Flippo flowers, Gilmore, hammer, Hester, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, Blake Johnson, Mark Johnson, King on leave, letting love McKee, Murdoch, Peyton, Penzo, Petty, rice, Scott, Stone, Stubberfield, Sullivan, Tucker, Wallace. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Any senator wish to change his or her vote or to vote who did not vote previously, seeing no one, please cast up the ballot by a vote of 33, y, 0, nay, House Bill 1001 passes and the corresponding emergency clause is adopted. Please return to the house. We will now take up the budget calendar. Senator Desmay, whenever you're comfortable. batching on, we'll do it. We'll just run through and ask. Our members, we're going to run through these uh real quick and I'm gonna ask you if you have any questions and if there's any that you want to pull out of the batch, so we kind of just got into mode. These are all, um, you know, items that we were able to go ahead and get out, uh, so first we have House Bill 1102, that's the turn back for counties and cities, 1108. That's going to be refund the local taxes, 1109 is Amendment 74 property tax appropriation, and then we have 1110 animal rescue shelter. That's $25,000 appropriation. Typically there's about $2000 that actually gets funded in that account. 11/11, uh, it's local law enforcement for grants, ambulance services, and then 1113 is general obligation bonds appropriation. With that, do we have any questions on 1102. 1108. 11:09. 11:10. 1111. I had a question on that or 110. I had 1110 I did that gets funded from license plates, so that that's what 1110 does. Alright, 11/11, that's an animal rescue shelter. 11:11 or 11:13. All Singan. What's that. See, no. House 1102 by joint budget, an act to make an appropriation for state turnback for counties and municipalities by the Office of the Treasurer of State for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, and other purposes. House Bill 1108 by joint budget and act for the Office of the Treasurer of State refund of local taxes appropriation for the 2025, 2026 fiscal year. Has 1109 by joint budget, an act for the Office of the Treasurer of State, Amendment 74, property tax preparation for the 2025, 2026 fiscal year. House Bill 11:10 by joint budget, an act for the Office of the Treasurer of State, Animal Rescue shelters, appropriation for the 2025, 2026 fiscal year. House Bill 1111 joint budget and act for the Office of Treasurer of State, Assistance to local law enforcement and emergency medical appropriation for the 20. 25, 2026 this year. 11:13 joint budget and act for the Office of the Treasurer of State, general obligation bonds appropriation for the 2025, 2026 fiscal year. Appreciate it. Thank you, Senator. No questions. Anyone we speak against or for Senator has closed. Any objection to rolling the vote on the batch. Madam Secretary, please roll the boat. Boyd, Bryant Lee Caldwell, Clark, Crowell, Davis, Des, Dismay Dotson, English Flippo Flowers, Gilmore, Hammer, Hester, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, Blake Johnson, Mark Johnson, King Lelighting love, McKee, Murdoch, Peyton, Penzo, Petty, Rice, Scott, Stone, Stubberfield, Sullivan, Tucker, Wallace. Any senator wished to vote who did not vote or wish to change his or her vote, seeing no one. Please cast up the ballot by a vote of 33 yeah and zero name. HB 1102, HB 1108, HB 1109, HB 1110, HB 1111, and HB 1113 all passed, and their corresponding emergency clauses are adopted. Like Senator Tucker, you're recognized for an announcement. Thank you, Madam President. Y'all please join me in welcoming our nurse and doctor of the day today. Of course we have Lee Fazio back with us as our nurse of the day. And then we have Dr. Kate Stambo, who's an obstetrician and gynecologist helping deliver those babies here in Little Rock. Thank you, Senator Tucker. Madam Secretary, are there items at the desk? Yes, Senate Bill 91 by Centra Penzo and Brynt to provide that local government 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 properties. Senate Bill 91, City County, local symbol 92 by joint budget, an act for the Department of Transformation and Shared Services appropriation for the 2025, 2026 fiscal year, Senate Bill 92. Joint budget on 93 by joint budget, an act for the Department of Education appropriation for the 2025, 2026 this year Senate Bill 93. Joint budgeten Court Resolution 3 by Senator Scott to urge the Arkansas congressional delegation to propose an amendment to the federal unemployment tax Act to waive the reasonable assurance clause Senate concurrent Resolution 3. Education, senate resolution 4 by Senator Tucker to welcome. Lieutenant General retired Jay Silvera as president of the University of Arkansas Systems, Senate Resolution 4. Calendar. Are there any other announcements or introductions at this time, Senator Hester. You're recognized. Thank you members as, as I told you, uh, this will be the, the last time in session that Zachary Rogers will be with us if we'll just give him, he's, he's speaking to Senator Crow right now. Zachary, we just, uh, this is his last day he'll be with us in session, just want to give him an applause and say, well done. And um 1:30 Monday, 1:30 Monday, and that's the plan moving for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays at 1:30, Thursdays we will play by ear depending on committee workload and um and that, but Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, we can expect 11:30. Thank you. Thank you. And with that, the Senate will stand an adjournment subject to the clearing of the