House Management

is Representative Ray in the room and is he ready? Come to the end of the table, introduce yourself for the record, and then you may begin. Thank you, Madam Chair. um Representative David Ray, House District 69. This is a very simple resolution. It's actually one that I ran last session. Um, but it's still pertinent and timely, so I wanted to um reintroduce it again here in the ninety-fifth. It's a resolution that would call on Congress to extend the tax cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, um, commonly known as the Trump tax cuts. Those were landmark and historic tax cuts, uh, the largest that we've seen in modern American history. That benefited Hundreds of thousands of Arkansas workers and businesses by lowering rates, by doubling the standard deduction, doubling um the child tax credit along with many other provisions, but unfortunately, many of those tax cuts are set to expire at the end of 2025. If they're not extended and so what that mean the practical effect of that would be an extremely large tax increase. On the people of Arkansas, um, a lot of the estimates that I've seen would be that for the average family, it would be an increase of about $1500 in their personal income tax. Um, with all of the inflation and affordability costs, uh, concerns that people have. I think the last thing that any of our constituents want is a massive tax increase at the end of 2015. And so this is just us as a legislature, um, asking Congress to please prioritize this issue, um, for the, for the benefit of the taxpayers of our state. Are there any questions? Saying no questions, is anybody here to speak for the bill? Against the resolutions, sorry, resolution, are you closed for your resolution? What's the will of the committee? Motion to pass all in favor say aye. Against saying. Congratulations, your resolution is passed. Thank you. House resolution 1002 is uh Speaker Evans. Sorry, sir, it was House resolution 1002. Sorry, sir, you introduce yourself and then you may begin. Thank you, Madam Chair. State Representative Brian Evans, District 68. Members, I present to you today House resolution 1002. Uh, this is just a procedural, uh, in, in the confirmation uh to the new legislative auditor previously, uh, auditor Norman, sir, for a number of years. He has since retired. Lesla a joint audit, uh, committee, uh, has supported the high. ring of Kevin White. He actually has assumed those duties, uh, so this is just a procedural, uh, decided to do this in the first week of session rather than trying to do this during the interim. Uh, the Senate has already, uh, unanimously confirmed him on their end, and we just need to follow this up with confirmation from, from, uh, Ian. I'd be happy to take any questions. So I'm gonna go ahead and read the subtitles so we have it up on, um, for the record. Uh, the subtitle is to confirm the Legislative joint auditing Committee, select of Kevin White as the legislative auditor. Are there any questions? Seeing no questions, is there anyone here to speak for the bill? Against the bill resolution sorry sir are you closed for your resolution resolution a good vote by the committee. What is the will of the committee? Motion to pass, all in favor say aye. Against Congratulations, your resolution is passed, Madam Chair. Thank you. Uh Next up is. House resolution 1003. Um, Representative Ladyman is not here, but Representative Tosh is going to present the bill. This is, or the resolution this resolution is to honor the Saint Bernard medical team in Jonesboro for being the first medical facility in the state to open a maternal. Life360 home. You may introduce yourself to the record and then you may begin. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm Representative Dwightta District 38, and, uh, I spoke with Representative Ladyman earlier today and he asked me to sit in for him and run this resolution. I am very familiar with it and the work that Saint Bernard's has, uh, been able to do and, uh, in our area and especially in this particular field that we're running that resolution for to recognize them for their outstanding achievement. And, uh, matter of fact, I might add I did uh representative Ladyman's son is doing good. and uh So I thought I'd share that with you, but, uh, it was, he sounded very upbeat and said everything was going good, come out of surgery, good. So with that, I would, uh, I'd take any questions. Are there any questions? Seeing no questions, is there anyone here that wants to speak for the bill? Against the resolution. Are, are you closed for your resolution? I am closed. What's the will of the committee? Motion to pass all in favor say aye. Oppose now Congratulations, your resolution is passed. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you committee members. We appreciate it. We have a couple of more items that I need to bring to your attention. I don't know if it's on this one. It's not, um, as house management we should make sure that everyone is kind of following the ethics of the floor. So if you see somebody with an open lid cup, please ask them to go get a lid and put on their cup. And there's been quite a mess with popcorn in the chamber, uh, so we don't want the people, you know, the ladies that come and clean to have to really deal with large messes, let's, uh, try to tone down maybe the popcorn that's on the floor, or pick up our messes as we go, if you don't mind, if you have people that's ask about hanging, um, pictures in their offices, the Things that we need, the rails that we need have been ordered by the state, uh, Secretary of State, tell people do not put pushpins in, don't put nails in, please make sure that you help me, uh, spread that word. Um, they can use command straps if they want to, but we do have some stuff that's been ordered that's coming. Is there any other business? Yes, sir. I'll have to check on that for you. I'm not quite sure. I'll check on it though. All right, any other business? Any other questions? Seeing no other questions or business. This committee is adjourned.