Daily Legislative Update
Thursday, February 26, 2009
46thDay of the 87th General
Assembly
* * * CALL TO ACTION * * *
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.
HB 1624 by Rep. David Dunn was filed yesterday. It would provide a complete sales tax exemption for a wide range of fuels used by a very broad range of manufacturers.
TODAY AT THE CAPITOL
House convenes at
Senate convenes at 11:00 a.m.
Committee Meetings:
JOINT
8:00 AM |
Room 151 |
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9:00 AM |
Room 171 |
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HOUSE
10:00 AM |
Room 130 |
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10:00 AM |
Room 138 |
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10:00 AM |
Room 428 |
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10:00 AM |
Room 151 |
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10:00 AM |
Room 149 |
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SENATE
10:00 AM |
ROOM 272 |
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10:00 AM |
OSC |
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10:00 AM |
ROOM 309 |
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10:00 AM |
Room 171 |
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ISSUES
PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGEMENT (PBM)
SB 460 by Sen. Percy Malone and HB 1601 by Rep. Allen Maxwell are identical bills that require entities that are managers of pharmacy benefits plans for insurers, employers and certain other health care entities or health plans to itemize individual claims, disclosing the amount paid to a pharmacist, the identity of the pharmacist and the prescription number when the PBM seeks reimbursement or payment for services provided by the pharmacists. It also provides that a violation constitutes a deceptive and unconscionable trade practice under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Both bills were amended yesterday to add a sponsor and clarify language. SB 460 is expected to be heard this morning in the Senate Insurance and Commerce Committee.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
HB 1362, the agreed workers’ compensation bill between the State Chamber/AIA and the AFL-CIO, is on the Senate Insurance and Commerce Committee agenda. However, it will not be heard if the committee’s consideration of SB 460 takes up most of the committee’s time.
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.
STATE CHAMBER/AIA BILL TRACKING
To date, the House has filed 640 bills and the Senate has filed 535 bills.
The State Chamber/AIA is tracking 259 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:
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Creates a sales tax exemption for sales to or on behalf of permanently disabled veterans for up to $25,000 in purchases per year. |
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Applies the Patient Protection Act of 1995 to a health care provider network utilized by a self-funded health benefit plan provided by the state to state employees and public school personnel. |
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Authorizes municipal corporations to use eminent domain for electric transmission and distribution systems outside of corporate limits, without annexation of territory, pursuant to authorization from the Public Service Commission. |
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Creates a sales tax exemption for all fuel and energy used by businesses in the manufacturing process. |
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Provides for a 10 percent reduction in payroll rebate benefits if a business does not file a claim for the rebate payments with the Finance and Administration Department within 12 months, and provides for forfeiture of payments after 24 months. |
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Declares businesses that provide support services for rail transportation eligible under the Consolidated Incentive Act of 2003. |
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 Friday, February 27, 2009
JOINT
None listed.
HOUSE
9:00 AM |
ROOM 428 |
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9:00 AM |
130 |
AGING, CHILDREN AND YOUTH, LEGISLATIVE & MILITARY AFFAIRS- HOUSE |
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9:00 AM |
Room 149 |
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9:00 AM |
ROOM 138 |
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9:00 AM |
Room 151 |
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SENATE
None listed.
ISSUES
POPULAR VOTE FOR U.S. PRESIDENT
HB 1339 by Rep. Eddie
Cooper and Sen. Terry Smith passed the House yesterday by a vote of 56 to 43. This
bill would require
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
HJR 1014 by Rep. Lindsley Smith and SJR 12 by
Sen. Sue Madison would ratify the proposed amendment to the United States
Constitution guaranteeing equality of rights to women and authorizing
Congress to enforce by legislation those provisions. It requires the
Secretary of State to provide Archivist of the
WORKPLACE
HB 1552 by Rep. Lindsley Smith provides that employers shall provide unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her child in order to maintain milk supply, and to make a reasonable effort to provide a private and sanitary room for her to do so. This bill is on tomorrow’s agenda in the House Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee.
SESSION EXTENSION
HCR 1012 by Rep. Robert Moore would extend the session until April 10. It has passed the House and must now be voted on by the Senate. It has not yet been placed on the Senate calendar.
YESTERDAY AT THE CAPITOL
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 the agenda in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee.
SB 429 by Sen. Tracy Steele addresses the fact that the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund will run out of money in the immediate future and require the state to borrow money from the federal government. Knowing that this circumstance would occur, the State Chamber/AIA Unemployment Insurance Committee and the State Chamber/AIA Executive Committee authorized our agreement to allow an increase in the taxable wage base. We asked labor for some concessions that originally they would not accept.
The Legislative Sub-committee of the ESD Advisory Council met yesterday afternoon to discuss HB 1478 and SB 429. Following a thorough discussion, the State Chamber/AIA and the AFL-CIO, who each hold five positions along with three consumer representatives on the ESD Advisory Council, agreed to support both bills after amendments are made to each bill. The most notable change will be to increase the taxable wage base from $10,000 to $11,000 effective January 1, 2010, and labor agreed to the change in quits and discharges which will also help with the trust fund.
You are probably seeing reports in the news that some states are
considering and/or rejecting the federal stimulus dollars related to
unemployment insurance. We are aware of this, have obtained detailed
information from
SSTP
SB 322 by Sen. Larry Teague received a Do Pass from the Senate Revenue and Tax Committee yesterday. It is on today’s Senate Calendar. The bill amends sales tax provisions to be consistent with the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement and provides that sales tax is levied on the withdrawal of goods from the stock of an established business.
SCRAP METAL
HB 1479 by Rep.
TRAUMA SYSTEM
SB 315 by Sen. Tracy Steele and Rep. Gene Shelby is the legislation to set up a statewide trauma system. The bill, which received a Do Pass as Amended from the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee yesterday, would authorize the Department of Health to grant funds to emergency medical care providers, ambulance providers, trauma rehabilitation service, and to hospitals to assist qualification as trauma centers; to create a communication network; and more. It will now go before the full Senate for consideration.
According to an article by Rob Moritz of the Arkansas News
Bureau, the current plan is for there to be two or three Level 1 trauma
centers in the state, 10 Level 2
centers, 17 Level 3 centers and as many as 54 Level 4 centers.
LOTTERY
The House Rules and Senate State Agencies Committees met upon adjournment yesterday to discuss the scholarship portion of legislation related to the lottery amendment. The legislation is still in draft form, but plans are for lottery proceeds to be directed into the existing Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship. Students with a 2.5 GPA and a 19 or higher on the ACT would qualify for a scholarship regardless of household income. Monies would also be available to non-traditional students. No one knows exactly how much the lottery will generate so the plan does not establish scholarship amounts, but rather establishes a scale based upon lottery revenues. Legislators hope to be able to provide the first lottery-funded scholarships in the fall of 2010. Rep. Steve Harrelson covered the meeting on his blog, Under the Dome, and John Lyon with the Arkansas News Bureau also covered the story.
SEAT BELT AND GRADUATED DRIVERS LICENSE LAWS
SB
78 by Sen. Wilkins and
Rep. Allen passed the house yesterday by a vote of 60-30 but the emergency
clause failed 64-28. The House may vote on the emergency clause again if they
can gain enough support to pass it, otherwise the bill will go to the
Governor’s desk for his signature without the emergency clause enacted.
SB 78 would repeal ACA 27-37- 704, which prohibited vehicle
stops solely to determine compliance with seat belt laws. The bill would forbid
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 by Sen. J. Jeffress and Rep. Shelby is scheduled for a Special Order
of Business in the House Public Transportation Committee on Tuesday, March 3.
It 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 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 license 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
MINIMUM WAGE
HB
1464 by Rep. Jim Nickels
passed the House yesterday by a vote of 67 to 27 and has been referred to the
Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee. This bill would make
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
