Senate Convenes

The Senate will be called to order. Are there any requests for leave at this time. Madam Secretary, please call the roll. Oh. Bryant Caldwell, Clark, Crow, Davis, Des, this fine, Dotson, English, Flippo, flowers, Gilmore, Hammer, Hester, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, Mike Johnson, Mark Johnson. King, letting, love, McKee, Murdoch. Peyton Penzo, Petty, rice, scot, stone, 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 Fred Love followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Send her love, you're recognized. Let's be in the attitude of prayer. Heavenly Father, first and foremost, we want to come just to thank you. Thank you for allowing us to be here Heavenly Father. Thank you for blessing us with this day that we were not promised. The Heavenly Father, we pray. That you would just keep us mindful. Um, continue. Just to allow us to practice the fruits of the spirit. The spirit of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control because God said against such things, there is no law. So Heavenly Father just got us this day, got us in this 2nd day of proceedings and just keep us mindful and we will forever give you the glory, the honor and the praise you so rightfully deserve. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 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, for those words. Ladies and gentlemen in the galleries, welcome to your Arkansas Senate. It is our expectation that you will exercise proper decorum and govern yourselves accordingly during today's proceedings without objections, the rules will be suspended in the Senate. will dispense with the reading of the journal. The morning hour has now begun. And senators, if I may have your attention, I would like to make a couple of announcements before we begin today's business proceedings. I'm excited to announce some staff changes in the lieutenant Governor's office, Sandy Hall, who has been the deputy chief of staff for the last 2 years and has served with me for almost 10 years will be the chief of staff as of today. All right. Sandy has an incredible background and public service. She, in addition to working with me at the Attorney General's office and leading our consumer. Education efforts and working with the public. She's been the deputy chief of staff working on everything from budget to personnel, communications. Sandy also has gone down in history as being the first Hispanic campaign manager of a winning statewide campaign back in 2022. And I believe Sandy is also making history today as the first Hispanic chief of staff to a constitutional officer. And With Sandy's promotion, announcing that Drew Evans, who has been an incredible chief of staff to me for the past 2 years and served with me for nearly 10 years, we'll be leaving the lieutenant Governor's office to pursue other opportunities we missed her dearly already. He has been instrumental to me. He has been like a another sibling to me in this role and a great adviser and a great friend and public service, Drew served as a law enforcement officer in the office of Attorney General. before being a senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to me and so we will miss Drew, but we're excited about his future and the private sector and so please give Drew Evans a round of applause. And so with that uh please make sure that you reach out to Sandy Hall, chief of staff. To me, should you all need anything, and of course Lorraine Miller is here with us today as well. With that, any other announcements, senators, Senator Flippo, you're recognized. Thank you, Governor. Colleagues, if you'll please help me recognize the doctor of the day, Dr. Tim Payton with Family Medicine at Mountain Home. Tim is also my mental health provider and the one who deemed me mentally competent to serve in office. So for any of you that have problems with me, you take it up with Dr. Payton. If no further announcements, Madam Secretary, you're recognized. How concurrent resolution 1001 by Senator Hester and Representative Evans for a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 14, 2025 to declare election results to administer the oath of office and to hear an address by the governor. That's all. All in favor of house concurrent resolution 1001, please signify by saying I. Any opposed Is habit the Return house concurrent resolution 1001 to the House. As concurred as concurred. My sister, Senator King, personal privilege. You're recognized you. Uh, you've seen a lot in the news about the proposed possible prison in Franklin County, there's going to be some Franklin County folks here at one o'clock in 309 to discuss that issue and if you see what's going on in the news, uh, with everything, and I think that it's important for everybody to know that when you're making a billion dollars decision, billion and $1.5 billion decision in the future of our state that it's going to impact all our Kansans. So if you've seen in the news media reports. This has been riddled with already with incompetence, lying, and deception. So I think that it's an important issue and if you want to talk to some of those people in Franklin County that possibly could have the most impact on their lives, it would be good just to visit with them and know about what they've uncovered with the FOIA documents of the lies and deception and the gross incompetence that we've seen already before we start going with a B 1.5 billion of our hard earned tax dollars, so they'll be there at 1 o'clock. Any other announcements? If not, Senator Hester, you're recognized for emotion. And needs to read some stuff first. Oh. Madam Secretary, you're recognized. Senate Bill 51 by joint budget, an act for the Office of the Prosecutive coordinator Appropriation for the 2025, 2026 fiscal year, Senate Bill 51. Joint budget Senate Bill 52 by joint budget and act for the auditor of state operations and unclaimed property program appropriation for the 2025, 2026 fiscal year, Senate Bill 52. Joint budget, Senate Bill 53 by Joint Budget, an act for the auditor of State continuing education of local officials appropriation for the 2025, 2026 fiscal year Senate Bill 53. Joint budget, Senate Bill 54 by Joint budget and act for the auditor of state deputy prosecuting attorneys appropriation for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, Senate Bill 54. Joint budget, Senate Bill 55 by Joint Budget and act for the Arkansas Supreme Court Appropriation for the 2025, 2026 fiscal year Senate Bill 55 joint budget. 56 by Senator Dodson concerning the evaluation, extension, and repeal of administrative rules. Senate Bill 56. State agencies. Senator Hester. You're recognized to make a motion. Members, I make uh well I've got to actually pass the resolution, is that right? We've done it. Hey, I make a motion that we recess to go down for the uh state of the state, and then we will, uh, and then we will come back 10 minutes upon adjournment of the state of the state. Without objection, the Senate will stand in recess. To attend the state of state at the House chamber, we will reconvene 10 minutes following the stated inclusion of the state of the state. That's right. Are there items at the desk? The senator will be called to order. Are there items at the desk? Just touch it and let it go. It goes off. How concurrent resolution 1003 of Evans and Sentra Hester, providing that the House of Representatives and the Senate of the ninety-fifth General Assembly, my recess on Thursday, January 16, 2025, and reconvene on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, house and cart resolution 1003 calendar. Senate Bill 57 by Senator Tucker. To amend the income tax credit for certain individual political contributions and to amend a portion of the Arkansas code that resulted from initiated Act 1 of 1996, Senate Bill 57. Revenue and tax Senator Dees, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. Members, I want to draw our attention real fast. I've got a group from Silent Springs up in our gallery today. We are privileged to have Seer Classical Academy and the school where my son and kids go to school. My wife is here today, so I'd love to, to welcome them with a round of applause to the Senate chamber today. And in case you didn't heard, in case you didn't hear, down the hall, get used to having your cell phones put away soon. OK, thank y'all. OK Or are there any other members that would like to be recognized for an announcement. OK, Senator Hickey, you're recognized. OK, not tomorrow, but Thursday, uh, Rev and Tax is going to meet just for their organization. There'll be 9 in the morning, so it should be going on the calendar just so everybody can plan for that. Senator Matt Stone, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, I just wanted to bring to your attention the letter that was placed on your desk uh earlier this morning in regards to the Forestry caucus. We're just taking the time to update the roster of the members who would like to be a member of that and support one of the leading economic industries in our state. If you, if you have any interest, get with me or I'll get with you and we'll get the details worked out. Thank you so much. Senator Davis, you're recognized? Thank you. We will have a rules committee meeting tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. in room 309. Senator Irvin, you're recognized. Thank you. We'll have public health tomorrow at 10 for organizational meeting in room 272 and an ethics committee meeting tomorrow upon adjournment in room 309. Thank you. Senator English, you're recognized. Thank you, Senate Education. We'll meet tomorrow morning at 9:00 in room 207. Thank you. members and Senator Irvin, I didn't catch you before and we're going to ask that meetings be held at 9 tomorrow if possible, because my intent is to come in this chamber at 10. Uh, the next two days and then starting next week when we get back if this resolution passes it we're out on Martin Luther King Day, I assume it will pass tomorrow. We'll start on Tuesday of next week and we will plan to start meeting consistently at 1:30 in the afternoons. We did 1 o'clock last session. We're going to move it to 1:30 after feedback from members. So 10 o'clock tomorrow and Thursday. And then next week we will start consistently meeting at 1:30 a.m. for public health. Yes, so Senator Irvin, you're recognized. So 9 a.m. for public health and then and then upon adjournment for Senate Ethics Committee, OK, OK. All right, so 9 a.m. for public health and 272 Senate ethics upon adjournment in in 309. Are there Any other members? Senator Alan Clark, you're recognized. Looks like the judiciary will meet at 9 o'clock in the morning. And our normal place, which I think is on the first floor on the east side. Anybody know that room number 171. Thank you. Senator Hickey, you recognized? Yes, we think this through. What we're having a rules meeting at 9 tomorrow, so I don't know if 9 and, and what with the Senator Irvin, if there's going to be some conflict with members. So maybe we need to think about this a minute or two. OK. Well, maybe we just need to meet at 1:30 tomorrow. No. OK. It's OK, we're, we're gonna pause here for just a second. still. We'll take one. I 8:15. you. What Yeah. No Oh So I. The I And. A members, members. Members. Hey, so I, I, I think I feel confident in this. If we meet at 10 o'clock. Just follow the updated calendar to see when rules and education and all the other committees will meet. Right, we will work it out when we're meeting and where. We will meet in this room the next 2 days at 10 o'clock, but we're, we're going to huddle up here and figure out when the other committees can meet earlier to make it work. The whole point is to try to be respectful of members' time if, if we're not, there's no reason to to keep all members here all day. Thanks, Jes. OK. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right. Is there anything else? Any other members want to be recognized? The all things? No. Well, if you Senator, Senator Davis, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair, rules will meet at 8:15 in the old Supreme Courtroom. If for some reason it's not available if for some reason it's not available, I will text all the members of the committee. It looks to be available, but 8:15 tomorrow morning, the old Supreme Courtroom. All right. All right. Anything else? Senator Flowers, you're recognized. So you said um After this week we'll meet. At 1:30 was committees. After the committees have finished their business, do we come back in here? Now, so, uh, we will meet at 1:30 for session in this room. Committees will always meet in the morning, OK, that's what I was OK, our normal session 1:30 starting next week, the rest of this week, 10 a.m. follow the calendar for location and time of your committees. Uh, seeing none, we are adjourned subject to clearing of the dust.