Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

House members will now be taking an extended recess. When the House reconvenes on March 27, members will be addressing public safety legislation, constitutional amendments, and the budget. 

In the days leading up to the recess, the House passed a number of bills addressing human trafficking, elections, and employment. Bills passed this week that amend human laws include SB282, HB1459, and HB1470. 

SB282 allows a victim of human trafficking to bring a civil action against a person or entity who knew or should have known that the individual was being trafficked. 

HB1459 increases the fines for a human trafficking conviction and trafficking-related charges to a range between $5,000 and $15,000. The bill directs that the fines be divided between specified funds that support exploited children and trafficking victims. 

HB1470 ensures victims are eligible for crime victim reparations even if they do not cooperate with law enforcement. 

Election bills passing the House this week included SB 250, SB 254, and SB 258. 

SB 250 requires counties to pay for the costs if using paper ballots. SB 254 eliminates the write-in candidate portion on a ballot, and SB 258 prohibits absentee ballot drop boxes. 

The House also passed HB1207 which requires local governments to act on permit applications in the first 60 days. 

And the House passed HB1575 which requires Arkansans to make at least 5 work searches a week when claiming unemployment benefits. That search could include applying for a job or participating in job training. 

In addition, the House passed SB81 and SB66.  

SB81 amends the law concerning libraries and obscene materials and creates the offense of furnishing a harmful item to a minor. It states furnishing a harmful item to a minor is a Class A misdemeanor.  

SB66 requires a commercial entity to use a reasonable age verification method before allowing access to a website that contains a substantial portion of material that is harmful to minors.  

We will continue to update you in the remaining weeks of the session. You can watch all House committee meetings and floor proceedings at arkansashouse.org.

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

This week, House members convened in the House Chamber for two orders of business.

In accordance with ACT 403 of the Regular Session, the House convened as a committee of the whole on Tuesday, August 4, to consider whether to terminate the Governor’s July 29, 2021 declaration of a statewide public health emergency.

When it was determined that no concurrent resolutions had been filed in the House and that one resolution filed in the Senate had been withdrawn, the House adjourned its committee of the whole. Since no resolution was adopted by the General Assembly, the Governor’s declaration remains in effect for 60 days.

The House convened on Wednesday, August 4, for an Extraordinary Session.

The Governor called for the session primarily for two purposes.

The first item on the call was to allow public school boards and open enrollment charter schools to implement masking protocols for children under 12. Children under 12 are currently not eligible to receive the vaccine for COVID-19.

The second purpose listed on the call was to concur with the Governor's decision to terminate the state’s participation in federal pandemic unemployment compensation program often referred to as PUA.

In response, to the call the House considered two pieces of legislation

HB1001 outlines the General Assembly’s concurrence with the termination of PUA in Arkansas.

This bill passed in the House with a vote of 74-17-0

HB1003 stated that a public school district can mandate the use of a face mask, shield, or other face covering only with approval of the school board and if the district or area served by an open-enrollment charter school has a fourteen-day COVID-19 infection rate of at least 50 new known infections per 10,000 residents of the public school district based on the most recent data published by the Department of Health or the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement. Currently, 100 school districts meet that criteria.

HB1003 outlined certain exemptions and limits such mandates to 60 days. This bill underwent Committee review, but did not advance to the House floor. The House adjourned the special session on Friday, August 6.

We will continue to update you on the actions of the General Assembly regarding the current emergency.

All of our meetings are streamed live and archived on our website www.arkansashouse.org.

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

This week, a subcommittee of Arkansas Legislative Council that provides oversight for Arkansas Game and Fish and Arkansas State Police heard from Arkansas State Police Director Col. Bill Bryant regarding recent successes and challenges facing state troopers.

His testimony alerted us to some startling statistics regarding an increase in aggressive driving and fatal accidents in our state.

In 2018, the Arkansas State Police Highway Patrol Division conducted 520 crash investigations involving fatal injuries. In 2019, the number was 505.

But in 2020, that number increased by 27% to 641 deaths. Col. Bryant says 14% of those crashes documented excessive speed of the vehicle as a contributing factor.

So far this year, the division says they have conducted investigations of accidents resulting in more than 330 deaths.

The number of citations related to acts of aggressive driving is also on the rise.

In 2019, there were 1,064 citations issues. In 2020, there were 2,030 citations issued.

So far this year, Arkansas State Police have issued more than 2,380 citations with some documented speeds as high as 160 miles per hour.

Aggressive driving incidents have included acts of violence documented by troopers assigned to the Arkansas State Police Highway Patrol Division and investigated by Special Agents of the department’s Criminal Investigation Division. Colonel Bryant testified the troopers and special agents confirm an explicit increase in incidents of gunfire involving motorists shooting at and into other vehicles traveling along Arkansas highways.

The Arkansas State Police Highway Patrol Division commanders are proactive with respect to patrol assignments to combat the incidents of aggressive driving and ensuring saturated patrols dedicated to speed enforcement are regularly occurring.

The division is dedicating the use of the department’s aircraft to monitor broad sections of U.S. and state highway traffic. The troopers operating these aircraft are in radio communication with ground patrols, providing them with speed and reckless driving observations, directing these highway patrol ground vehicles to specific locations where the violations are being observed.

Each highway patrol division troop commander has immediate access to deploy low profile patrol vehicles with minimal Arkansas State Police markings and different colors, unlike the white with blue stripe markings motorists are accustomed to seeing. These vehicles blend into traffic, allowing troopers a better perspective to identify speeding and dangerous driving and take immediate enforcement action.

While we continue to look for ways to support our law enforcement further, there are some ways every Arkansan can help keep our roads safer.

Arkansans are encouraged to let the troopers know they’re appreciated for what they’re doing to keep local highways safe. Likewise, citizens should speak up and let the troopers know where they are witnessing regular incidents of lawlessness on the highways. Citizens shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to the commanders at these local headquarters. Arkansas motorists traveling across the state are encouraged to call 9-1-1 and ask to be connected to the nearest state police headquarters to report incidents of dangerous driving they witness on U.S. and state highways.

A listing of the twelve Highway Patrol Division Troop Headquarters, including local telephone numbers and points of contact, can be found on our website www.arkansashouse.org.

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

Arkansans know that no summer barbecue is complete without fresh watermelon. Our state may not be the largest producer of watermelon, but Arkansas communities lay claim to being the home of the world’s largest and the world’s sweetest. 

The month of July is known as National Watermelon Month. July is typically the largest shipping month of the year, with over 15 states harvesting simultaneously. 

The United States currently ranks 7th in the worldwide production of watermelon. Over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown across 96 countries worldwide. But the impact the crop has on communities here in Arkansas has been a cause for celebration for decades.  

In Arkansas, we have more than 200 farms harvesting more than 1,500 acres of watermelons. Crops are valued at more than $5 million. 

The city of Hope annually celebrates its claim as the home of the world’s largest watermelons with a yearly watermelon festival. The event first originated in 1926 and has been ongoing, though not continuous, since 1977. 

And since 1980, the residents of Cave City have been coming together to celebrate the "World's Sweetest Watermelons" and reconnect with family and friends. Now, in its 40th year, the watermelon festival is the largest festival in the region. 

Researchers are now finding out that watermelons are even more nutritious than previously known. The USDA's Agricultural Research Service recently identified over 1,500 small molecules of diverse chemical characters in the fruit, known as phytochemicals. They concluded that eating watermelon is an excellent way to increase your intake of antioxidants, non-protein amino acids, and lycopene. This means that every time you eat watermelon, you’ll be improving the health of your cells, organs, and nervous system. 

In addition to farmer’s markets and fruit stands across the state, you can find Arkansas watermelons and any Arkansas grown produce at supermarkets by looking for the “Arkansas Grown” label. The “Arkansas Grown” logo is a registered trademark of the Department filed with the Arkansas Secretary of State. It may appear in black and white or black and green versions.

 We’ve posted more information, including recipes and expert tips on finding the perfect watermelon, on our website www.arkansashouse.org.

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

This week, the Joint Budget Committee advanced two bills outlining the proposed budget for the next fiscal year.

The Revenue Stabilization Act prioritizes and categorizes state spending. It is typically one of the last bills passed every session. This year, the RSA is outlined in two identical bills SB702 and HB1949.

The proposal disburses $5.84 billion in general revenue. While fully funding our obligations, it decreases overall state spending by $50 million.

Proposed increases can be found in Medicaid, corrections, and State Police. The budget also includes the largest percentage increase in educational adequacy in 15 years.

The state’s long-term reserve fund is expected to reach over $700 million by the end of this fiscal year. This savings helps the state to secure lower interest rates and bond ratings.

This week, the House also passed a bill to reduce the sales tax from 6.5% to 3.5% on used cars priced from $4,000-$10,000.

HB1912 passed both chambers and is now awaiting the Governor’s signature.

Other tax measures passing the House this week include HB1719 and HB1456.

HB1719 creates the Reboot Pilot Program. It would provide income tax credits for employers who hire former felony offenders who were released from his or her first term of incarceration in the last year. The maximum amount of this credit is $3,000.

HB1456 creates an income tax in an amount equal to 50% of an eligible railroad track maintenance expenditures. The maximum amount of the credit is $5,000 per mile of track.

On Thursday, the House voted in favor of SJR10. This is a proposed constitutional amendment which, if approved by voters, would allow the General Assembly to call a special session upon the submission of a written proclamation with signatures from at least 2/3 of both the House and Senate membership. Currently, only the Governor can call for a special session.

The House also voted in favor of HR1048. This resolution would allow the House to consider a third proposed constitutional amendment, SJR14, the Arkansas Religious Freedom Amendment.

The House previously passed HJR1005 would require statewide ballot initiatives to receive 60% of the vote before becoming law.

Proposed constitutional amendments approved by the General Assembly will be on the November 2022 ballot.

The House expects to enter an extended recess beginning Tuesday, April 27, and return in the fall to address congressional redistricting. The Governor has also indicated he intends to call a special session in the fall to address additional tax cuts.

You can find all House agendas and links to live streams at www.arkansashouse.org.

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

As we wind down the 8th week of the 2021 Regular Session, more than 270 bills have been signed into law. 

Next week, the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee will begin hearing proposals for constitutional amendments. According to Joint Rules, the House and Senate can each recommend one amendment, but it must be approved by a majority in both chambers. A 2/3 vote is required by both chambers to introduce a third proposed constitutional amendment. 

This week, the House passed more than 50 bills, including the following: 

HB1061-This bill creates the No Patient Left Alone Act. The bill outlines visitation rights for hospital patients, including children, patients with disabilities, hospice care, long-term care patients, and members of the clergy. 

SB6-This bill would ban abortions except those performed to protect the life and health of the mother. 

HB1568-This bill creates a legislative study on the possible use of election technology to increase transparency and security.  

SB137-This bill states that a local government shall not adopt any ordinance or policy that would prohibit a customer's right to purchase, use, connect, or reconnect to a utility service. 

HB1437-This bill concerns “Publish for Pay websites” or privately-owned websites that request a fee to remove a booking photograph from the website. The bill states the person responsible for removing the booking photograph from the website shall remove the picture within five business days of receipt of a written request and not require payment of a fee for removing the booking photograph. It also states the website must post contact information. 

HB1457-This bill creates “Paisley’s Law”. It allows parents of a stillborn child to claim an income tax credit in the amount of $500. 

HB1488-This bill allows employees to file a Workers’ Compensation Claim for COVID-19 if the employee can prove they contracted the virus at their place of employment.  

HB1407-This bill modifies the method of calculation of the stabilization tax and caps the tax at .2% for 2022. 

HB1409-This bill caps the taxable wage base for employers at $10,000 for 2022. 

HB1433-This bill outlines transportation funding for the 2020-2021 school year for districts that need more than the foundation funding provided to all public schools. 

HB1464-This bill adds a provision to the Arkansas Code that allows parents to challenge instructional material, events, or activities in public schools.  

HB1389-This bill creates the Arkansas Foresters for the Future Scholarship Program. This scholarship will be funded by the State Forestry Fund. 

SB287-This bill expands eligibility for the Governor’s Scholars Program and the Arkansas High Technology Scholarship Program to migrants from the Compact of Free Association Islands (Marshallese) and to an individual or child of a person who holds a Federal Form I-766 Employment Authorization Document (work permit). 

HB1462-This bill allows state-supported two-year and four-year institutions of higher education to designate a staff member as a homeless and foster student liaison.  

There will be some changes to committee schedules beginning next week to accommodate hearing bills and proposed amendments. You can find updated schedules and links to live streams on our website www.arkansashouse.org.