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House Floor
Jan. 11, 2023
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Parliamentarian: I invite the members, staff, press, and guests in the galleries to stand and be led in prayer by Representative Ryan Rose, and to remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance to be led by Representative Lane Jean.
Rep Rose: Let us pray. Lord, we thank you for the incredible opportunity that we have today and this year to be about your business in our state Capitol. I pray for blessings and protection and favor over the legislature, the staff, and all that we do in and out of business. Pray that we’ll be effectual, efficient, and Lord, most of all, that you would be glorified through all that we do. We pray these things in Jesus’ name, amen.
Parliamentarian: Members, please indicate your presence by hitting your yellow present button. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk.
Rep Shepherd: Cast up the ballot, Madam Clerk. With 98 members present, the chair sees a quorum. Are there any requests for leave? Representative Gazaway, for what purpose?
Rep Gazaway: Leave.
Rep Shepherd: You’re recognized.
Rep Gazaway: Leave for Representative Mayberry.
Rep Shepherd: Is leave granted for Representative Mayberry?
audience: Leave.
Rep Shepherd: So noted. Representative Eubanks, for what purpose? You’re recognized.
Rep Eubanks: Leave for Representative Wardlaw.
Rep Shepherd: Is leave granted for Representative Wardlaw?
audience: Leave.
Rep Shepherd: So noted. Representative Jon Eubanks moves to dispense with the reading of previous day’s journal. Without objection, so ordered. Are there reports from select committees? Are there reports from standing committees? Read the reports, Madam Clerk.
Madam Clerk: Mr. Speaker, we your committee on State Agencies and Government Affairs to whom was referred to House Concurrent Resolution number 1002 by Representative Eubanks beg to leave a report that we have had the same under consideration and herewith return the same with recommendation that it do pass. Mister Speaker, we your Committee on Aging Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs to whom was referred House Concurrent Resolution number 1005 by Representative Bentley beg to leave the report that we have had the same under consideration herewith return the same with recommendation that it do pass.
Rep Shepherd: Is there any unfinished business? Are there any executive communications? Representative Wing, you’re recognized.
Rep Wing: Thank you, Mister Speaker. I have a special group that is visiting with us in the east gallery. And if they know who they are, if you wouldn’t mind just kind of make your way over to this area here where we can all see you. What happened last year was a very unique situation that we had an assembled task force of people from government agencies and from the private sector to address a problem, which was elder fraud. Our elders, our seniors are being scammed to the tune of $37 billion every year, and this is a major financial loss for everyone when this happens. And so a group of concerned citizens got together and formulated what is called the SAFER Arkansas Act. And SAFER has an acronym safeguarding against financial exploitation of retirees. It’s amazing how that lined up. Shannon Hollyon is right there. She came up with that acronym for us, and she was at the time with the Attorney General’s office. We had a wide group of people that came together to pass this legislation. And not only has it helped people and helped our seniors protect their accounts, but Simmons Bank, an Arkansas institution, applied for a national award and received an honor from the American Bankers Association for their efforts to protect our retirees. And so I wanted– I’ve got a citation here to honor Simmons Bank for their work in protecting our retirees, but I also wanted to let everyone know who all is here because this is a group of citizens who got together and made something happen. [applause]
Rep Wing: And we won’t read the citation, but I do want these individuals to be noted because each played a very key part. From Simmons Bank, we have Steve Wade, Tina Groves, Charmaine Hines, Barbara Peck, Ed Bilek, and my neighbor, Ashley Leopoulus. From the Arkansas Bankers Association, we have Lori Trogden. From the Arkansas Securities Department, Commissioner Mclaurin, Karen Tierney, and former commissioner Eric Munson, who was on our task force. From DHS, we have Mark White. From the Arkansas Community Bankers. We have Chris Padgett. We have a representative from the FBI, and I know Agent Stokes, who was on our task force, wasn’t able to make it, but somebody is here or there, from the Arkansas Credit Union Association, Vicky Salkeld Dahinden. We have Shannon Hollyon from the Attorney General’s office. We also have from the Arkansas Bank Department Commissioner Susannah Marshall and Deputy Commissioner John Allen and Jim Taylor with First Security Bank. Let’s give them a round of applause, please. [applause]
Rep Shepherd: Members, our doctor of the day today is Doctor Naveen Patil of Little Rock. Our nurses of the day are Miss Brenda Hewitt and Miss Sherry Bernard. Our Arkansas state troopers with us today are Trooper Kevin Grounds and Trooper Ross Allen. [applause] Morning hour has ended. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1001.
HB 1001: House funding itself
Madam Clerk: House Bill 1001 by House Management, an act for the Arkansas House of Representatives of the 94th General Assembly appropriation for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
Rep Shepherd: Representative Wing, you’re recognized to explain the bill.
Rep Wing: Hello colleagues. This is typically the first bill that we hear. This just gives us our appropriation for our expenses for this session. Just a couple of key notes is as we’ve kept the appropriation the same as it has been since 2017. And in fact, when we started this current level of where we are, which is $1.975 million and change, we actually had cut that from the 2015. So we’ve been able to do it with less for several sessions in a row. We’d appreciate a good vote to be able to continue here in 2023.
Rep Shepherd: Representative Wing has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Would anyone like to speak for the bill? Representative Wing is closed for the bill. The question before the House is the passage of House Bill 1001. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. You’re voting on the bill and the emergency clause. Has everyone voted? Has everyone voted? Cast up the ballot, Madam Clerk. With a vote of 96 yeas, zero nay, and one present, the bill and emergency clause are passed. Members, we will move to the yellow budget calendar. Representative Jean, you recognized.
HB 1051: General Appropriation Act
Rep Jean: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, this is House Bill 1051. This is the general appropriation act. In our constitution, we have to pass this appropriation before we can pass any other appropriations. It used to be a big bill years ago. The only changes in this bill is there’s a $65,000 district judge travel expense that was $45,000. The previous year they spent $53,000 on travel for our district judges. Any questions? Appreciate a good vote on the bill.
Rep Shepherd: Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1051.
Madam Clerk: House Bill 1051.
Rep Shepherd: Representative Jean has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Would anyone like to speak for the bill? Representative Jean is closed for the bill. The question before the House is the passage of House Bill 1051. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. Voting on the bill and the emergency clause. Has everyone voted? Has everyone voted? Cast up the ballot, Madam Clerk. With a vote of 95 yeas, zero nay, and one present, the bill and emergency clause are passed. Representative Meeks for what purpose?
Rep Meeks: Motion, please.
Rep Shepherd: Let’s hear your motion.
Rep Meeks: After the announcements, reading of the bills, transferring the bills, placing the calendars on the desk, members amending their own bills with their own amendments, finalizing resolutions, reading communications, and any remaining committee reports– that’s the first time I’ve done that this year [laughter]– I move we adjourn until 11 o’clock tomorrow morning.
Rep Shepherd: That’s a proper motion. It’s not debatable. All in favor say aye.
audience: Aye.
Rep Shepherd: Any opposed? The motion is adopted. Are there any announcements? Representative Holcomb, for what purpose?
Rep Holcomb: Announcement.
Rep Shepherd: You’re recognized.
Rep Holcomb: Public Transportation will meet in the morning at 10 o’clock at Mac B for an organizational meeting.
Rep Shepherd: Representative Richmond, for what purpose?
Rep Richmond: Announcement.
Rep Shepherd: You’re recognized.
Rep Richmond: The Republican Caucus, the majority caucus, will be meeting at the RPA [laughter] at 2:20.
Rep Shepherd: Representative Dalby, for what purpose?
Rep Dalby: Announcement.
Rep Shepherd: You’re recognized.
Rep Dalby: House Judiciary will meet at 10 AM in the morning room 149. Organizational meeting.
Rep Shepherd: Representative Wing, for what purpose?
Rep Wing: Announcement.
Rep Shepherd: You’re recognized.
Rep Wing: We have the offices are all assigned. You may have gotten an email with your new office. If you have a key left over from last session, that key is already coded to your new office. If you are one of our new members, you will need to pick up a key from Amber right through that door right there. She will have your key for you. If you need a map to know kind of where to go to find your office, come see me. I’m happy to help with that. And one final thing, if for those of you who have been assigned an office and probably will not use that, real estate is at a premium this year. Temporarily so for this session, but if you would like to share or relinquish that, please let me know because we do have a few members who would like that, if that makes sense.
Rep Shepherd: Representatives Eaves, for what purpose?
Rep Eaves: Announcement.
Rep Shepherd: You’re recognized
Rep Eaves: Revenue and Taxation Committee will meet tomorrow, 10 a.m. in room 151 for an organizational meeting.
Rep Shepherd: Representative Evans, for what purpose?
Rep Evans: Announcement
Rep Shepherd: You’re recognized.
Rep Evans: House Education will meet tomorrow at 10 AM tomorrow morning, room 138 for an organizational meeting.
Rep Shepherd: Representative Johnson, for what purpose?
Rep L Johnson: Announcement.
Rep Shepherd: You’re recognized.
Rep L Johnson: Public Health will meet tomorrow at 10 AM for an organizational meeting in room 130.
Rep Shepherd: All right. Members, you’ve heard these announcements. All of the A committees are going to meet tomorrow morning at 10 AM to at least have an organizational meeting. And then we’ll meet here on the House floor at 11 AM. The plan is that after that we’ll be done for the week, that we will be off on Friday. And then as you’ll recall, we also had passed a resolution to be off on Monday as well. So assuming that that gets passed on the other end, then we, likewise, do not plan to be here on Monday as well. So for the rest of the week, 10 AM tomorrow with your A committee, and then 11 o’clock here on the floor. And just to continue, it’s always important to watch your email. Watch the Arkleg website for scheduling. And I hope everybody has a good rest of the afternoon. Any other announcements? Representative Wing, for what purpose?
Rep Wing: May I approach the well for a point of personal privilege?
Rep Shepherd: You’re recognized.
Rep. Wing’s speech on civility
Rep Wing: Colleagues, I want to talk to you about a matter that I think is going to be one of the more important things that we’ll discuss throughout the entire session. If our averages hold, what is tradition and statistical, about 2,000 bills will be filed in this session. Roughly about a thousand of those will end up becoming law. Of those thousand, the vast majority will pass without any dissent at all, completely non-confrontational. There will be a small number of bills that will generate some comment. And then there will be a small group of bills that will generate a lot of comment, some conflict, and even some contention. What I ask, as we start this session, is that we not let contention over an issue spill into contention over the character of a colleague.
Rep Wing: Everybody in this House has earned the right to be sitting in these seats by winning an election and representing the people, and with that right comes the respect that is due that position. And when we show disrespect for a colleague, we show disrespect for a system of government that has proven the test of time since the 1700s and has brought more prosperity and more happiness to more people than any other system of government. Our founders laid their lives on the line for us to have this precious gift of self-government. And they expected debate. They expected even vigorous debate. That is all okay, but when we show disrespect to a colleague, especially in the press and in social media, we’re also setting a poor example for our constituents who may feel that they have license to follow that poor example and do the same. I think that we can all agree that the level of political discourse in this country is as low as it ever has been, at least in my lifetime and probably even Jim’s. [laughter]
Rep Wing: So let’s let statesmanship be the order of the day from this state Capitol, and if we do so, we might just be the means of bringing our communities together again. So with that, let’s go out and have a great session. Thank you. [applause]
Rep Shepherd: The desk will remain open as needed for the reading of the bills, and upon completion of the items named in the adjourn resolution, the House will be adjourned until 11 AM tomorrow.