Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs- House

The aging Children and Youth Legislative and Military Affairs. That is the name of our Committee. Um, for the foreseeable future until, as many of you know, the Legislation goes through for, um, that Representative Evans has to make a joint Committee between the Senate and House that is solely devoted to military affairs, but as for now we're gonna continue as normal, uh, whatever normal May be. Uh, I am Representative Sonia Eubanks Barker, and, uh, I am the Chair. I will introduce myself last, but I'm very thrilled to have Representative Mary Bentley as our vice Chair this term. And I'm gonna let her start us off and if you'll just tell us your name, your district, maybe what your district covers and um something interesting about yourself, uh, you know, no 30 minute introduction or anything, and we'll keep, keep moving around, um, and, and come back around and then I'll introduce our legislative staff and analysts, um. And I will tell you though before we go, that we are such. A great, unique, already well formed Committee. We have 10 veterans and 10 freshmen. So we're just as balanced as you can get. So I hope you all feel that. Go ahead. >> Well, it's an absolute honor to be chosen as vice Chair to work with my good friend, Representative Sonia Barker. She and I came in together in 2015. We have been through thick and thin on many things, and it's really just an honor to be vice Chair with you. So thank you. I am Mary Bentley, State Representative District 54 in central part of the State. So I have a Sla County, Faulkner County, Perry County, about 40 miles. I live 40 miles from the Capitol Steps to my house, so not very far. I'm blessed to get to go home. Every night, unlike a lot of you. So I appreciate all your commitment, commitment to this Committee. I was a registered nurse, worked at Children's Hospital for 14 years and absolutely loved it, loved taking care of children. So I'm passionate about kids. I could have, uh, as a veteran chose any Committee I wanted, but this Committee is very important. This Committee is dear to my heart. I want to be a part of it. So thank you all for being a part of us today, and we'll go down and let Representative Springer, if you'll start with us, we'll go down this side and come back up. Thank you. Good morning. 76, it's not too far from here. I live over in the. Starting um. And uh if you've seen Chester Street all the way West Pass Baptist Hospital, that is my district, it's like central Little Rock area. uh I've been on this Committee since I started in 2020. I came here based upon a special election. It took me, I think I think I had about 5 or 6 elections before I really became the. A representative for this particular district, as I recall I think it was 5 or 6, so I'm happy to be here. I chose to be here again this term. I had a choice to choose another Committee, but I decided that I wanted to continue on this Committee, so I'm happy to be here, looking forward to working with each and every one of you. Thank you. >> Uh, Rick McClure, District 29 portions of Hot Spring in Saline County, and this is my 3rd term in here. This is where we really get to deal with some very, uh, heart touching stories and can make a difference for a lot of people. Keith Brooks District 78 portions of uh West Pulaski and Saline County. This is, uh, my third term as well as my third term here on Aging Children Youth and just appreciate their leadership, appreciate, uh, the issues that we deal with. They're not always easy. In fact, we oftentimes they're very difficult, but, uh, um, I think we have a, a great group of people who is passionate about the good of, of kids, uh, and the good of what we can do for our State. So thank you. Tony Furman, District 82, southern half of Saline County, uh, 3rd term on this Committee. I'm very passionate about the subject, and my wife and I are foster parents going on, I think 10 years now, but I don't know, foster time kind of blurs 10 years I feel like 15. But it's very important work that we do, not always easy, but happy to be here and looking forward to working with you guys. >> Um, thank you. I am Hope Duke. I represent District 12, which is the northwest corner of the State of Arkansas. My district borders Missouri and Oklahoma. Represent Gravette, Decatur, Maysville, Bella Vista, um, Hawassee, and a lot of rural areas and some bigger areas. Um, interesting tidbit about me, I guess is I, my. Veterans here will know this is a big deal to me. Um, I am getting, well, I am entering the Grandparents Club this year. For the first time, I'll become a grand, well, I am a grandparent. The baby will be due in June, so I'm very excited about that and um you're gonna see lots of pictures in the months to come. Joey Carr District 34, which is about the eastern 1/3 of Mississippi County, uh, 30 year retired educator, uh, but this allows me to, uh, still help and serve, uh, children in need. Uh, I have a lot of veterans in my family, so that was another main reason I picked this Committee, uh, for the veteran aspect. And the Lord decided to give me a connection to the aging because my mother-in-law has moved in with us. So I'm getting all aspects of this Committee now, so thank you, Madam Chair. Matt Duffield, District 53. I represent Russellville and a handful of homes in the Pottsville area in Pope County. Second term legislator, 2nd term on this Committee. Looking forward to working with each of you. Thank you. >> Representative Chad Pierce, District 40. District 40 is it encompasses independence, a little bit of white and a little bit of Cleburne County. I'm also like Representative field 2 for 2 on this Committee, and this is one of the only things I ask for is to be on this Committee because as I said last year it's everything I love and it's a very important Committee and it's very sensitive and again it's everything I love and I'm honored to be here. Thank you. Good morning everyone. I'm, uh, Representative Jesse McGruder, uh, in Crittenden County and a portion of Cross County. I wanna thank Representative Barker for allowing me to sit on this side of the table so I can see the door that's an issue for me. Uh, I have no idea what I'm doing, but I've been blessed to have 6 children, so I, I have an understanding of dealing with children, but I'm here to learn as much as I can and I try to be as involved as I can on this Committee. >> I'm Representative Dolly Henley, District 88, Southwest Arkansas, all of Hempstead County, part of Howard and part of Miller County. Excited to be with this Committee. Uh, my husband is a retired warrant officer and I'm also a volunteer on the employer support for guard and reserve in Arkansas. Thank you very much. Good morning, uh, Jason Nazareko. I've got District 4, that's all of Marion County and then the southern portion of Baxter County. Uh, I'm really excited to be here. This is one of the committees that I really wanted, so I was excited that it was available. I'm a 23 year Army veteran, and, uh, my mother-in-law, uh, to Representative Carr's point, my mother-in-law also lives with us, she's been with us since I retired, uh, and, uh, to Representative Duke's Point, uh, I'm also joining the, uh, Grandparents Club. I've got one in July 1 in August, so very exciting. Thank you very much. >> Good morning. Um, Diana Gonzalez Worthen from District 9 Springdale. I'm a longtime educator and I was very pleased to be on this Committee. This is one of the committees I really wanted to be on. With my work with children and youth, being a classroom teacher, that that is very dear to my heart. Taking care of our seniors and grandparents also very important, and I come from a long line family of veterans, so everything this Committee, it just Matches um my own passion and I, I'm a learner. I'm a freshman, um, along with it we have several of our freshman class here and I'm just happy to be here and I'm a, I'll be learning as much as I can from everyone, all of you that have been serving on this Committee for 23 terms. Thank you. >> Good morning. My name is Nick Burks. I represent District 14, which is Southwest Bentonville and Centerton. As a relatively young person, I'm hoping to provide some unique insight, um, maybe on the youth aspect of this Committee. So look forward to doing that. Yeah, yeah, so we'll also do that. Good morning James Eaton. I represent District 26. I'm also a freshman. Uh, that is District 26 takes in all of Madison County, the southern part of Carroll County, and the northern part of Franklin County. So basically from the Arkansas River to Missouri. Um, glad to be here. I'm an insurance agent. I have some cattle interest also. I'm a farmer, so glad to be here. Um, My name is Glenn Barnes. I, uh, sixty-fifth District covers Jefferson County. Um, really glad to be on this Committee. I've worked with the, uh, juvenile Justice Court for 14 years and DHS court also on Judge Ernest Brown. I've seen some really tough situations for children and, um, um, one of the problems we're having, especially in our black community is children at a young age experiencing a lot of hardship. I would really love to see some changes made, so I'm, I'm just glad to be on this Committee. >> I am Paul Childress. I serve, uh, District 83. I'm a week and a half on the job, brand new. I'm here to learn. Um, my district is Benton Hot Springs Village and pretty much everything north of, not everything, but north of I-30. I share Saline County with 5 of us on this Committee have Saline County, so Saline County has a big presence. My history is I was a policeman for 10 years. I worked with children and crimes and been in the insurance. Business for 25 currently still on the Benton school board till my term's up, so I get to deal with children every day or a few times a day on issues with the school, and I've served on the COSA board, uh, Mercy Hospital Child Advocacy board. So anyway, I'm involved with children and it's a passion of mine, so I'm glad to be here. >> Thank you, Representative Barnett. Nothing like walking in the door and somebody calls you out, right? We're glad you made it and I realized, good morning, that, um, for example, Representative Torres contacted me yesterday and he is running a bill, I believe in State agencies and was hoping to get back in time to introduce himself before we finish our Committee today but. You will have times you will have to be out and we'll talk about making sure I have your contact information, but um. Don't ever stop at the door and think, oh, they've started and not come in, please always, um, because sometimes we're actually looking for a quorum once things get pretty hot and heavy. So we're introducing ourselves, name, district, a little bit about ourselves and it's your turn. >> hello. Lincoln Barnett. I reside in Hughes, Arkansas and I represent District 63, which is parts of Crittenan County and Saint Francis County, and prior public service has been on school board and in the mayor's office. >> Thank you. Thank you everyone. Such a varied and unique group. Um, we have youth, we have grandparents, we have all kinds and but everyone, you can hear everyone's heart for what happens in this Committee and the good we can do in this Committee. So I'm very, very honored to be serving with you. Let me tell you, um, and we're gonna come back to Blake also before, um, we're done with things, but our Committee analyst is Blake Gilham and uh. I know you will be glad if you don't know it already, but um, you, you cannot be happier to have Blake than I am. Um, does a great job as our Committee analyst. We also have Destiny Davis, who is our designated assistant. Today we have Terry Dunlap who May be with us some, May be out in other places some, and our, uh, Committee attorney is Laura Holzauer. Um, you will see her some but not on a regular basis. Um, would you like to tell us anything before I introduce myself, or do you want me to finish up the introductions and come back to you? OK. >> My name is Blake Gilham. I've been the Committee analyst since the summer of 2019 for this Committee, and what I'm gonna do basically during the Session, I kind of act as the parliamentarian for this Committee meeting. Um, I organize the agenda, work with the bills, um, do the paperwork to get the bills out of this Committee to the main Chamber floor, um. Basically any of the Members on this Committee, if you ever have questions about procedures for it, feel free to reach out to me. Um, I'll make sure you have my email and my phone number. Uh, if you have questions about your bills, reach out. Um, I do have a list of agency contacts that I will email you all today and I will have hard copies of that contact list for you at our next meeting next week. That list May grow as, uh, if you want additional people on there, I can absolutely have that added. I did have a couple of Members ask me today. We have our organizational meeting and we have two deferred bills on there. That was done at the sponsor's request, um. And uh there's multiple ways that can happen. Um, they basically just asked if it could be put on there as deferred, and some Members do that just because they don't, they want people to know that those bills aren't going to run. If you ever want those taken off, you just contact me before 2:30, 2 days before the meeting. So you would contact me before 2:30 on Monday if you want something off the deferred agenda for a Wednesday meeting. Um So me and Ms. Davis will, will help with wherever you need us to, uh, ask questions as you see fit, and I will always be here to assist the Committee. It's a very important Committee and I look forward to working with you all. >> Thank you, like And he's every bit as good as you think he could be. Um, Destiny is too, and we're very grateful for them. I am Sonia Barker. I already said that before. I represent District 96. I'm very envious of you that call out one county. I represent all or part of six counties, uh, Bradley, Calhoun, Cleveland, Dallas, Washingtonta and Union. Uh, but that's the way rural Arkansas goes, um, so it's great. I'm an educator by trade, taught for 21 years, um, taught a little bit after I came into the legislature, taught first semester only, um, I taught English high school English and French, oral communications, and I coached the tennis team. Have, uh, been married for 34 years, have 3 grown children and 6 grandchildren, and they're the best thing in the world. I mean, I know you know that, but I just have to say it for the record, yeah. I, as a representative, OK, and I'm gonna ask you a question. Representative Worthen or Representative Gonzalez Worthen? Gonzalez. OK, I use my maiden name as a well, not even hyphenated, but I use it also sometimes, but I wanted to shorten it if you wanted it shortened and not if you don't. But as you said, I chose education and this Committee. Uh, freshman year and I have been on this Committee all 5 terms, well, starting this my 5th, so very important Committee, very, I believe someone said. Heart touching heart heart wrenching at times, um, and, and yet very, very important, but no one ever told us that being a legislator was for the faint of heart, right? So we're gearing up and we're gonna get with it. OK, I'm gonna read you a few things off of here so, well, now, let's let's stop first. Um, we have several different agencies and stakeholders, obviously. Um, that are involved with this Committee and we'll have various ones here at different times, but if you're here today with an agency or um entity and you would like to introduce yourself, I'm just gonna ask you to stand where you are and we'll start over here to my right and just mov'e around the room if you would like to introduce yourself. >> Hi, good morning. I'm Tiffany Wright. I'm the director for the Division of Children and Family Services, and I wanna say thank you to the veterans and the, um, newcomers because this Committee is very important for the work that we do at DCFS every day touching kids' lives. Um, good morning. I'm Amber Sartain. I'm an assistant director for DCFS. Uh, this is my first time I'm here and I'm looking forward to getting to know. learning Good morning Members. My name is Jayuinley. I'm the director of legislative affairs for the Arkansas Department of Commerce. Look forward to working with everyone in this Session, and I, like I said, the department stands ready to be a resource. If there are any questions or issues that we can provide feedback on, I'm more than happy to reach out. We have a few bills that May come before this Committee and we decided to present those when the time comes. Richard Beard and Management Group, we do work with the judicial council, so we'll be taking direction. >> We're staying in here and my claim to fame is I'm from the hometown of the Chairman of the CD Macro. Well, technically I'm from your hometown because you were there before I was, but. >> Oh wait, wait, >> I didn't mean that age wise. I mean, I didn't mov'e there until I was an adult. >> Sorry, sorry, >> Richard. >> Good morning, Madam Chair. Madam Vice Chair. I'm Robbie Wills with WSG Consulting, uh, former member actually served on this, uh, Committee when I was a member of the house, and, uh, it's a thankless job most days. I don't want today to be one of those days. So thank you for all you do. Our firm represents the area agencies on aging and several others and. We look forward to working with you I'm Brooke Stein. I'm the juvenile division director at the administrative office of the court. As Richard said, I'll be here with him a lot. We will bring juvenile judges from around the State really just as a resource to y'all, and we'll be here often when we don't really have any interest necessarily in the bills, but we wanna be here should you have questions about the juvenile courts and what's going on >> in your. I'm Ashley Figueroa, the administrator for the Arkansas Supreme Court Commission of. Good morning, Madam Chair, Members of the Committee. My name is Dustin Brighton and I'm with Hu Blackwell strategies, uh. We represent several Entities and clients look forward to hearing more about the agenda here in this Committee, and I heard Mississippi County. I grew up there, so, uh, go apply go check us out. >> go, go. Uh, I'm Eli Chain and I'm working at. I'm Nick Ortiz. I work for Governor Sanders and I handle public safety, military. >> Hey Jay Robertson, I'm with Opportunity Arkansas. We work on issues related to family Integrity. Thank you all for your work on. >> Good morning. My name is La Joy Montgomery. I'm President of the National. University women, we are a community organization and we're here listening in as a partner. So, um Program that's happening >> I have to take orders from our President. My name is Danielle Terry. I'm also the NAUW who here with the SEAL, and I am the second vice President of this organization. Thank you all. >> Do you have any others? David, >> I'm David Cook. I'm the director of government affairs for the Alzheimer's Association, and so I look forward to working with you and thank you for your service to our State. >> Thank, yes, OK, yes, would you stand in, >> OK. Hi, my name is Charlotte Watson. Jordan. Greetings to everyone. I am a business teacher over at Dunbar Mag Middle School, and this is my co-partner here, um, Miss Kimberly Washington. She's. Um, Dunbar also she's an IT person, our testing coordinator, and our facilitator, and we are excited to being here. We brought our students to get some experience, uh, regarding bills that are going to be signed. Thank you very much. >> Thank you for being here and thank you students for bringing our age average down today. >> We, >> we appreciate that greatly. So if you are from, if we skip. Go ahead. I'm >> sorry, I'm up. I'm Doctor Anderson, Fran Anderson, and I take great pride. This is the 2025 Cross Disability Day at the Capitol. In 2013, my late friend Leonard Ball and I coined this event. It's very important that we shape the future of the youth. They need to know that they're, uh, the leaders of. The future and I brought them but y'all deferred the bill on the Internet safety and for y'all to know they were in the house as well as Arkansas School for the Deaf and the blind. So thank you so much for letting us introduce this is very important for them now they'll get to go back and be a part of an essay contest that my other women's group is doing. They've already introduced themselves. Thank you so much. Where is Representative Andy Collins? >> Well, he's not on this Committee. His bill was coming and he's the one that pulled it down. We didn't defer it. He did just for just for the record, but we're very glad to have you and thank you for that, that program and that exclamation. Yes, thank you. If you introduced yourself. Um, from an agency, then would you stay around just for a moment when our Committee is over and make sure that Blake has your contact information, please. Thank you all and thank you for introducing yourself. OK, let me just go through what we have here and so I don't forget anything. I'm going to basically read it to you. Um, we do meet Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and I think I May have said room 131 yesterday. Uh, it's room 1:30, but you all figured that out. I don't know where 131 came from, um, at the call of the Chair and on Wednesdays, uh, Quorum must be present, as you know, to start each meeting. 11 Members constitutes a quorum, um, so it's important to be on time and to be here. It's also important to me to have your contact information so that as Representative. Torres let me know that he would not be here because of another bill so that we can have those kind of conversations so that I can get a feel Representative Bentley as well depending on who's chairing and who's doing that day so we can get an idea of of what kind of quorum we will have so we'll have, I don't send out a lot of group I'm not a very I don't like group messages. I'll just. Right, well, as Representative McGruder said, he doesn't like sitting with his back to the door. My husband is the same way. I know exactly where I'm supposed to sit when I go in a restaurant because he doesn't put his back to the door. Well, I don't like group texts. I, I appreciate the efficiency of them, but I will only send one out if we need it, OK? But I would like for you to individually contact me anytime you have anything, question, concern, you're gonna be late, that kind of thing. Um, agendas are prepared in accordance with House rules. Agendas are prepared 2 days in advance. Sponsor notifications will be sent to Members who have bills on the agenda 2 days before the Committee meeting. You're, uh, also those notices are sent by email, so be sure and check your email. After a bill of resolution has appeared on the Committee agenda and has been called up for consideration and the sponsor is not present, the item will be placed at the bottom of the active agenda. We do try in here to go in order, but obviously that works for a little while until people are gone and things, you know, go haywire, and so we, I will try and let you know if there's just a total change to our agenda. If a bill of resolution has been called up for consideration 3 times, it will automatically drop to the deferred list unless the sponsor notifies staff. Requests to mov'e bills from the deferred list to the active agenda must be made by 2:30 p.m. 2 days prior to the scheduled Committee meeting, as Blake has already informed us. Amendments should always be in writing. And please make that the first thing you do if you bring a bill that has an amendment, go straight to staff and let them know that you have an amendment so that they can get those copied so that we can all have copies, even if it's just to add a co-sponsor, um, that's just the procedure. So please take that straight to them immediately and special order of business is set at the call of the Chair done when the sponsor of a bill requests a special meeting date or time. Um, to hear their bill, this is used when there is a controversial bill, which we don't have a lot of, but we have had, um, in the past, uh, where a lot of people will either be testifying for or against or when a sponsor has people coming in from out of town and needs a particular special date um but needs to be really special. We, we can't jump around all over the calendar um for everyone that just has someone to come in, but we can talk about that. Um, as far as, um, a follow up goes and, and procedure, if you're asking questions and I'm just gonna echo what Representative Brooks has told us and several of you are on the education Committee with me, um, you don't have to stop and ask me for a follow up if you are in the vein of a conversation and you need another question. Just keep that conversation flowing. The oral comm teacher in me really just almost stutters when we have to stop. You turn your mic on and ask and I turn my mic on and recognize you and then you go back to your mic. Just keep it going. Now, if you tend to monopolize the time, I will politely remind you that we need to mov'e on and and put you back. In the queue for um questions at a later time, but if it's a reasonable conversation that's going on just I realized though that if you're a veteran, it May just be habit to say follow up madam Chair and at which time I probably would just nod at you and not even fool with my mic. So let's just keep things, keep things flowing. If I do not have your cell phone number, if your number that is associated with your headshot and your information on our agenda, I mean our roster for this Committee, would you see me after uh we gavel out so that I have a good working number in case that's your home phone number that's on there please let me have your your cell phone number. Anything else? Anything else? Apparently we're good to go. Anything else from Members or any questions? I loved hearing all the I'm here to learn. Well, guess what? It's not just this side of the table that's here to learn this side of the table, this well I don't know, probably not Blake, he knows everything, but we're still here to learn too and it's always every Session is unique all the bills are unique. Every everything that's gonna happen is is unique and it's not happened before, so please don't, don't feel um out of place. We're all in this together, we're all working for the same thing, the good of aging children, youth. And our military and legislative. Agendas and affairs as well. OK, thank you. We are adjourned.