Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

In the most recent legislative session, the Arkansas General Assembly made several changes to our laws regarding transportation. 

The new laws impact everything from distracted driving to getting your car tags. 

Below is a list of acts signed this year regarding transportation: 

Act 445 seeks to strengthen our laws regarding distracted driving. It states if a distracted driver causes an accident that results in serious physical injury or death of another person, the driver upon conviction is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. In addition to penalties assessed, the court may order the defendant to 100 hours or less of public service work.

Act 41 extends the time period authorized for the registration of a motor vehicle from 30 days to 60 days from the purchase date or from the time an individual becomes a resident of Arkansas.  

Act 396 limits the time period during which restricted driving permits are valid for those on probation or parole to one year from the date it was issued. 

Act 94 amends the law concerning truck platooning systems.

Act 50 repeals a law that prohibits leaving a running vehicle unattended.

Act 261 would require the Department of Finance and Administration to offer drivers the option of a digitized driver’s license by February 2025. The bill states a digitized driver's license may be accepted by a public entity for all state purposes authorized for a driver's license. It does not require any public or private entity to accept a digitized driver’s license.

Act 264 classifies the theft of a catalytic converter as a Class C felony. It states a person commits unauthorized possession of a catalytic converter if the person knowingly possesses a catalytic converter that has been removed from a motor vehicle and is not permanently marked. 

Act 211 allows the distribution of revenues from the additional registration fee for electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and plug-in hybrid vehicles under the Arkansas Highway Revenue Distribution Law.

Act 714 allows law enforcement to impound a vehicle if the driver committed the offense of drag racing on a public highway for second time in a five-year period.

You can find more acts passed by the 94th General Assembly and watch recorded meetings of the 2023 Regular Session at arkansashouse.org.

Abortion, healthcare on the agenda for 2023 Arkansas legislative session

KUAR | By Daniel Breen

With the midterms officially over, and a newly-expanded Republican supermajority in the state House and Senate, state lawmakers have begun filing bills for the upcoming general session of the Arkansas General Assembly.

Lawmakers will return to the state Capitol in Little Rock on Jan. 9, 2023, to begin considering bills touching on a wide variety of topics. GOP leaders have said they plan to focus on education and tax reform, including Governor-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ plan to phase out the state’s individual income tax.

As of Monday, 12 pieces of legislation have been proposed since the bill filing period opened last week. The first two were filed by Sen. Ben Gilmore, R-Crossett, and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway, R-Paragould. The so-called “shell bills” are identical and more or less serve as a placeholder, but their titles suggest they’ll deal with parole and sentencing guidelines.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-11-22/abortion-healthcare-on-the-agenda-for-2023-arkansas-legislative-session

Jacob Kauffman/KUAR

Lawmakers will return to the Arkansas State Capitol on Jan. 9, 2023 for a legislative session.

VIDEO: Governor Hutchinson's State of the State Address

Governor Asa Hutchinson will give his final State of the State Address to the Arkansas General Assembly at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, February 14, 2022.

Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

The Arkansas General Assembly will convene for the 2022 Fiscal Session on Monday, February 14.

Preparations for that session will begin in the next two weeks.

Beginning January 11, the Joint Budget Committee will hold a series of meetings designed to begin the process of outlining a budget for the next fiscal year.

Budget hearings will begin with the Department of Finance and Administration presenting its annual forecast and recommendations for a balanced budget by the Governor.

The last general revenue report released showed revenue was up 3% from the same time last year.

Over the course of the budget hearings, the committee will hear budget requests for all state boards, commissions, and agencies. The hearings will continue through January 20.

Members can begin pre-filing appropriation bills on Monday, January 10.

Fiscal Sessions began after Arkansas voters approved what would become Amendment 86 in 2008.

Amendment 86 reduced the period for which appropriation bills are valid from two fiscal years to one, requiring the General Assembly to meet in a fiscal session during even-numbered years, with deliberations limited to action on appropriation bills.

For non-appropriation legislation to be introduced, a concurrent resolution substantially describing the bill must be approved by a 2/3 vote required in both chambers. The deadline for members to file identical resolutions for non-appropriation bills is February 14.

Amendment 86 states that each fiscal session shall not exceed 30 days. The fiscal session may be extended one time, however, for no more than 15 days, by a ¾ vote of both the House and Senate.

The deadline for filing both appropriation bills and non-appropriation bills is Monday, February 28.

You can watch find the daily agendas and watch the meetings live at www.arkansashouse.org.

Governor Hutchinson Allows Vaccine Mandate, Redistricting Bills to Become Law Without His Signature

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson won’t sign any of the bills that the members of the 93rd General Assembly sent to him last week, he announced today.

Senate Bill 739 and House Bill 1977 and Senate Bill 743 and House Bill 1982 will become law without his signature.

The vaccine bills “are unnecessary,” Governor Hutchinson said, and the debate hurt efforts to convince hesitant Arkansans to get vaccinated.

The Governor is concerned that the boundaries of new Congressional election maps, especially the division of Pulaski County, will harm minority populations, he said.

Governor Hutchinson’s full statements about his decision follow:

Senate Bill 739/House Bill 1977

“Today, I have on my desk Senate Bill 739 and House Bill 1977, which are similar bills passed by wide margins in the General Assembly.

“These bills are unnecessary, and the conversation has been harmful to our goal of encouraging vaccines. For those reasons I will not sign the bills into law with my signature. I will allow them to become law without signing.

“These two bills are designed to push back on President Biden’s vaccination mandate for federal contractors and employers with more than 100 employees.

“I am opposed to the current mandate by the Biden Administration, but the solution is not to place additional mandates on employers at the state government level. The solution is not to put employers in a squeeze play between state and federal law.

“Employers need the freedom to protect their employees and their customers, and government should not interfere with that freedom through mandates.

“While some Arkansans state they need the option to opt-out of the vaccine requirements and need to be provided reasonable accommodations if they choose not to take the vaccine, those protections are already in place.

“In fact, based upon the President’s announcement, it is anticipated that the federal mandate will allow for weekly testing for those individuals who do not wish to take the vaccine. Medical and religious exemptions are already in place for any vaccine requirements. Therefore, these bills are unnecessary and could interfere with the at-will employment status of the State of Arkansas and could be costly for employees.

“Further, SB739 and HB1977 create distrust and additional hesitancy regarding the COVID-19 vaccines. These vaccines are safe and have been carefully tested and evaluated.  The FDA has a rigorous approval process, which the vaccines have passed. The vaccines are safe, and Arkansans need to get vaccinated, but not through mandates.

“Finally, one factor in my decision not to veto the legislation is the fact that the General Assembly defeated the emergency clause. The extra 90 days before the bills become law allow critical time to assess the harm and for the Courts to review the bills as well.”

Senate Bill 743/House Bill 1982

“The United States Constitution gives the Arkansas General Assembly the sole authority and responsibility to formulate the redistricting plan every ten (10) years for the four (4) congressional districts. If challenged, the judicial branch, as it has done in past years, will determine the constitutionality of the map.

“I am concerned about the impact of the redistricting plan on minority populations.

“While the percentage of the minority composition of the proposed map for three of the four districts does not differ much from the current percentages, the removal of minority areas in Pulaski County into two different districts raises concerns. I have been contacted by many asking me to veto the legislation. I decided not to veto the bills but instead to let them go into law without my signature. This will enable those who wish to challenge this redistricting plan in court to do so.

“In 1990, I was counsel in a case with the NAACP in which we challenged the congressional redistricting plan. While the court in that case determined the map did not violate the vote-dilution section of the Voting Rights Act and the plan did not constitute intentional discrimination, I learned from that experience the real concerns of the minority population about their equal opportunity to have an effective voice in elections. Fair and equitable maps are necessary for the integrity of our democratic society.

Arkansas Senate Fails Bill Allowing Legislators To Amend Voter-Approved Measures

By SARAH KELLOGG

A bill that would have allowed the Arkansas General Assembly to amend voter-approved constitutional amendments by a two-thirds vote of each chamber failed in the Senate on Monday.

Senators voted 9-17, with two members voting present on Senate Bill 75, ultimately failing the bill. It would have allowed the legislature to modify or even repeal measures "approved by a vote of the people." The legislation defines a measure as any bill, law, resolution, ordinance, charter, constitutional amendment, legislative proposal or "encactment of any character."

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/arkansas-senate-fails-bill-allowing-legislators-amend-voter-approved-measures

Sen. Mark Johnson, R-Little Rock, presents Senate Bill 75

Certified Nurse Midwives in Arkansas Given Broader Medical Authority

By JACQUELINE FROELICH

The Arkansas General Assembly has granted full practice authority to Certified Nurse Midwives, under Act 607. CNMs are advanced practice registered nurses nationallly certified as specialists in prenatal and postpartum care, as well as women's health. We hear legislative testimony rationalizing why such authority has been delivered, and gather reaction from a long-time Arkansas birthing rights legal advocate.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/certified-nurse-midwives-arkansas-given-broader-medical-authority

COURTESY / KATIE OPRIS PHOTOGRAPHY

Governor, Arkansas Legislative Leaders Outline Plans To Recess, Hold Special Session This Fall

By ROBY BROCK / TALK BUSINESS & POLITICS

The leaders of the two legislative chambers and Gov. Asa Hutchinson outlined expectations for the end of the 93rd Arkansas General Assembly, and it should be an unprecedented and lengthy adjournment.

Holding a joint press conference Thursday to review the Revenue Stabilization Act (RSA), which keeps the state’s budget balanced, the trio of leaders explained their plans for completing the session business and taking care of additional matters later this year.

Next Tuesday, legislators expect to recess until the fall. Normally, they would sine die, or formally adjourn, in about one month and the regular session would end. This year, lawmakers plan to “stay in session” until September, when they will return to take up legislative and Congressional redistricting, which has been delayed due to issues with the U.S. Census Bureau. After they approve redrawn district lines, they will sine die and soon thereafter be called into a special session by the governor to discuss tax cuts and reform.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/governor-arkansas-legislative-leaders-outline-plans-recess-hold-special-session-fall

The 2021 session of the Arkansas General Assembly is set to recess on Tuesday. On Thursday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and legislative leaders gave their thoughts and plans for the future.

CREDIT MICHAEL HIBBLEN / KUAR NEWS

Arkansas Legislature Practices COVID-19 Protective Procedures

By JACQUELINE FROELICH

The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly convenes today with lawmakers, staff, lobbyists and the public required to observe strict COVID-19 protective procedures. Incoming Senate President Pro Tem Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, walks us through the new pandemic rules.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/arkansas-legislature-practices-covid-19-protective-procedures

Incoming Arkansas Senate Pro Tem Jimmy Hickey worked with state leaders to craft COVID-19 guidelines for the regular legislative session.

COURTESY / ARKANSAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY