Daily Legislative Update
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
44th Day of the 87th General
Assembly
* * * CALLS TO ACTION * * *
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
HB 1362, the agreed workers’ compensation bill between the State Chamber/AIA and the AFL-CIO, is on this afternoon’s House calendar. 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.
TODAY AT THE CAPITOL
House convenes at
Senate convenes at
Committee Meetings:
JOINT
8:00 AM |
Room 151 |
||||
9:00 AM |
Room 171 |
HOUSE
10:00 AM |
Room 130 |
||||
10:00 AM |
Room 151 |
||||
10:00 AM |
Room 428 |
||||
10:00 AM |
Room 149 |
||||
10:00 AM |
Room 138 |
SENATE
10:00 AM |
Room 171 |
||||
10:00 AM |
ROOM 272 |
||||
10:00 AM |
OSC |
||||
10:00 AM |
ROOM 309 |
ISSUES
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
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. It is on this morning’s House Revenue and Taxation Committee agenda.
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. It has been referred to the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee.
The ESD Advisory Council, on which the State Chamber/AIA and the AFL-CIO each hold five positions along with three consumer representatives, will meet Wednesday afternoon to discuss HB 1478 and SB 429 as well as the impact of federal stimulus funds.
SEAT BELT AND GRADUATED DRIVERS LICENSE LAWS
SB
78 by Sen. Wilkins and
Rep. Allen and SB 309 by Sen. J. Jeffress and Rep. Shelby are both on this morning’s
agenda in the House Public Transportation Committee. SB 78 Repeals ACA 27-37- 704, which prohibited vehicle stops
solely to determine compliance with seat belt laws. The bill forbids the
suspension or revocation of a driver's license based on violation of seat
belt laws. In 2006, approximately
five out of every 1,000 belted drivers were hospitalized in
SB 309 would prohibit
the use of a cellular phone or other interactive device while operating a motor
vehicle by a driver with a learners' driver's license or intermediate
driver's license. It would also place restrictions on driving hours for those
with intermediate driver's licenses unless accompanied by a licensed driver
who is at least 21 years old or driving to or from school or church-related
activity or job or due to an emergency and would restrict passengers to not
more than one unrelated passenger unless accompanied by a licensed driver who
is at least 21 years old and in the front passenger seat. Motor vehicle
crashes were the leading cause of death for teens from 1999 to 2005, causing
78 percent of all
The State Chamber/AIA has policy in support of these provisions
to reduce trauma in
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
HB 1552 by Rep. Lindsley Smith provides that employers shall 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 today’s agenda in the House Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee.
STATE CHAMBER/AIA BILL TRACKING
To date, the House has filed 595 bills and the Senate has filed 454 bills.
The State Chamber/AIA is tracking 244 bills and resolutions.
The deadline for appropriations bills is Monday, March 2 and the deadline for regular bill filings is Monday, March 9.
New bills added to the State Chamber/AIA tracking today:
Decreases from 180 to 45 days the time period within which health care insurers must make a decision on applications from physicians licensed under the Medical Practices Act for participation or renewal in the insurers plan. |
|||
Adds natural gas pipelines that are associated with privately-owned companies, including gathering lines, under the authority of the Oil and Gas Commission to regulate under the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968. |
|||
Health Care (Unprofessional Conduct; Anatomic Pathology Service) - Insurance. |
|||
Increases from $1000 to $2000 the maximum amount of a wage dispute to be heard by the Director of the Department of Labor. |
|||
Amends the income tax credit for the restoration of wetlands and riparian zones to include the donation of wetlands and riparian zones for conservation, setting the credit at 50 percent of the appraised value and limiting all credits to $50,000. |
|||
Makes various changes to the Oil and Gas Commission hearings, penalties, assessments, permits and other. |
|||
To enhance passenger transportation efficiency and safety. (Incomplete bill) |
|||
Provides that employees and job applicants are not required to pay for employer-required drug tests unless the employee/applicant requests and receives a free copy of the examiner's report. |
|||
Creates the Arkansas Gathering Line Land Acquisition Act to provide for the offer, counteroffer, hearing review, appeal, and other processes for natural gas companies seeking to acquire land for non-delivery proprietary pipelines. |
|||
Makes various changes to provisions for mechanics’ and materialmens’ liens. |
|||
Creates a sales tax exemption for sales to the Arkansas Search Dog Association, Inc. |
|||
Provides for the recess of the 2009 regular session of the General Assembly on April 10 with a sine die adjournment date of May 1. |
|||
Provides for the issuance of temporary motor vehicle buyers' tags, with preprinted vehicle identification information, to dealers and manufacturers; requiring buyers to obtain temporary tags within five days if not provided by the seller. |
|||
Exempts from sales tax all raw products produced or
grown in
|
|||
Extends from April 1, 2009 to April 1, 2011 the deadline for lodging facilities to be designated as tourism attraction projects by the Economic Development Commission to qualify for sales tax credits under the Tourism Development Act. |
|||
Amends provisions of the Uniform Money Services Act; authorizes the Securities Commissioner to make rules and administer the Act; limits security required of licensee to a surety bond; expands investigative authority of the commissioner. |
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.
TOMORROW AT THE CAPITOL
Committee Meetings for
JOINT
8:00 AM |
Room 272 |
||||
9:00 AM |
Room 171 |
HOUSE
10:00 AM |
Room 138 |
||||
10:00 AM |
130 |
AGING, CHILDREN AND YOUTH, LEGISLATIVE & MILITARY AFFAIRS- HOUSE |
|||
10:00 AM |
Room 151 |
||||
10:00 AM |
ROOM 428 |
||||
10:00 AM |
Room 149 |
||||
12:00 PM |
428 |
SENATE
10:00 AM |
Room 272 |
||||
10:00 AM |
Room OSC |
||||
10:00 AM |
Room 171 |
||||
10:00 AM |
Room 207 |
||||
Upon Adjournment |
Room 309 |
YESTERDAY AT THE CAPITOL
ISSUES
SCRAP METAL
HB 1479 by Rep.
SESSION EXTENSION
HCR 1012 was filed yesterday by Rep. Robert Moore. It would extend the session until April 10. An Arkansas News Bureau story quotes a legislator as saying the session could have been very short, but issues related to the federal stimulus package will require more time.
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
