Daily Legislative Update

Monday, February 23, 2009
43^rd Day of the 87^th General Assembly 

*   *   *   CALLS TO ACTION   *   *   *

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

HB 1362, the agreed bill between the State Chamber/AIA and the AFL-CIO, received a Do Pass recommendation Friday morning from the House Insurance and Commerce Committee. A sponsor’s amendment will be adopted today to correct an incorrect reference in the bill title. We expect the bill to be considered by the full House tomorrow. This agreed bill received an unnecessary amount of questioning on issues unrelated to the purpose and intent of the bill by Representatives concerned about small contractors. Please contact your state representative and encourage them to support HB 1362.

MANUFACTURERS SALES TAX EXEMPTION FOR UTILITY USAGE

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO SUPPORT A REDUCTION IN THE SALES TAXES PAID BY MANUFACTURERS ON THEIR ENERGY COSTS.

The best information you can provide legislators is a report on how much sales tax you are paying on electricity and natural gas used directly in the manufacturing process along with an explanation of how the savings would enhance your operation, save or increase jobs, improve competition, etc.

Arkansas is completely non-competitive with our surrounding states on this issue. Only Mississippi charges a 1.5 percent sales tax rate while the other border states charge no sales tax on manufacturers’ energy costs.

This week could be pivotal in determining whether this priority issue of our organizations can be accomplished in the 87^th General Assembly. Your contacts are critical.

TODAY AT THE CAPITOL

House convenes at 1:30 p.m.

Senate convenes at 1:30 p.m.

Committee Meetings:

JOINT

10:00 AM	Room 272	JBC-CLAIMS	Agenda
11:00 AM	Room 130	PUBLIC RETIREMENT & SOCIAL SECURITY PROGRAMS-JOINT	Agenda

HOUSE

None listed.

SENATE

10:00 AM	ROOM 171	TRANSPORTATION, TECHNOLOGY & LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS - SENATE	Agenda
Upon Adjournment	Room 171	INSURANCE & COMMERCE - SENATE	Agenda
Upon Adjournment	Room 207	EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE	Agenda

ISSUES

SCRAP METAL

HB 1479 by Rep. Darrin Williams received a Do Pass as amended from the House Judiciary Committee on Friday and will now go before the full House. It would create a Class D felony for the offense of damaging wires and other fixtures of telephone, cable and electric power companies or any line that could result in physical injury. It also adds new restrictions and requirements on scrap metal dealers. This bill, which has been the subject of negotiations over the past few weeks, was filed as an agreed bill by the parties in interest. The State Chamber/AIA supports this bill to reduce the outbreak of copper theft in Arkansas .

STATE CHAMBER/AIA BILL TRACKING 

To date, the House has filed 569 bills and the Senate has filed 437 bills.

The State Chamber/AIA is tracking 228 bills and resolutions. 

 

New bills added to the State Chamber/AIA tracking today:

 

HB 1563

Dismang

Exempts the service pay and allowances of all active duty military personnel beginning with tax year 2009 from Arkansas state income tax.

 

 

Please visit our tracking site here for the complete, searchable list of bills being tracked. The full text of each bill is also available at the site.

 

 

THIS WEEK AT THE CAPITOL

Committee Meetings for Tuesday, February 24, 2009

JOINT

8:00 AM	Room 151	JBC-PERSONNEL
9:00 AM	Room 171	JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

 

HOUSE

10:00 AM	Room 130	PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE- HOUSE	Agenda
10:00 AM	Room 151	REVENUE & TAXATION- HOUSE	Agenda
10:00 AM	Room 138	EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE	Agenda
10:00 AM	Room 428	PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION- HOUSE	Agenda
10:00 AM	Room 149	JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE	Agenda

 

SENATE

10:00 AM	Room 171	INSURANCE & COMMERCE - SENATE	Agenda
10:00 AM	ROOM 272	CITY, COUNTY & LOCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE - SENATE	Agenda
10:00 AM	OSC	STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE	Agenda
10:00 AM	ROOM 309	AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - SENATE	Agenda

 

ISSUES

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

Two bills addressing unemployment insurance were filed last week. HB 1478 by Rep. Mike Patterson would authorize certain information to be shared between the Department of Workforce Services (DWS) and the Department of Finance and Administration. SB 429 by Sen. Tracy Steele is a significant bill filed by the Department of Workforce Services that addresses a very serious situation regarding the rapidly declining balance in the trust fund that pays unemployment insurance claims.

The State Chamber/AIA and the AFL-CIO each hold five positions on the ESD Advisory Council along with three consumer representatives. The Council meets on a quarterly basis and makes recommendations to DWS regarding unemployment insurance (UI) legislation. Every year since 1965, labor and management have reached an agreement and jointly supported UI legislation. To date, an agreement has not been met but a specially called meeting of the ESD Advisory Council will be held this week to address HB 1478 and SB 429.

FOOD TAX

SB 88 by Sen. Bobby Glover would reduce the sales tax on food and food ingredients by 1 percent. This is a priority item for Governor Beebe. The bill remains on the House Revenue and Taxation Committee agenda. 

WORKPLACE MANDATE

HB 1552 by Rep. Lindsley Smith was filed late last week. It would require employers to provide unpaid break time each day to employees who need to express breast milk for their children in order to maintain milk supply, and to make a reasonable effort to provide a private and sanitary room for them to do so. This bill is on Tuesday’s agenda in the House Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee.

LAST WEEK AT THE CAPITOL

ISSUES

LOTTERY

Legislators got their first look at recommendations by legislative study groups appointed by leaders of the House and Senate. A memo was provided, meetings were held and a draft bill began to circulate. Also last week, Governor Beebe signed the tobacco tax increase into law, which set the stage for the legislature to move forward with serious consideration of the lottery.

CONTACT INFORMATION

State Senators: 501-682-2902
State Representatives: 501-682-6211
State Chamber/AIA Staff
Randy Zook, President/CEO: rzook@arkansasstatechamber.com
Kenny Hall, Executive Vice President: khall@arkansasstatechamber.com  
Angela DeLille, Director of Governmental Affairs:adelille@arkansasstatec hamber.com
State Chamber/AIA phone: (501) 372-2222
State Chamber/AIA web site: www.arkansasstatechamber.com