California Legislators Debate Revisions as Approval of 2025 Healthcare Bill Approaches
The 2024 Arkansas legislative session, which was previously anticipated to conclude this week, may now conclude on May 2 or potentially the week after, according to House Speaker Matthew Shepherd’s announcement on Thursday.
The Legislature will adopt the fiscal year 2025 budget, also referred to as the Revenue Stabilization Act, in the final days of the session. Thursday morning, the Joint Budget Committee commenced deliberations on the legislation.
The legislative documents resemble the one proposed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in March, which outlined a general revenue budget of $6.3 billion, anticipated to have a surplus of approximately $377 million. The suggested 1.76% augmentation of $109 million in comparison to the present fiscal year would constitute a considerably diminished increase in comparison to budgets from prior years.
As of Friday afternoon, Sanders has affixed his signature to 116 appropriations measures, thereby granting fiscal authority to state-funded institutions for the allocation of funds contained within the budget.
A Variety of Amendments Proposed
Legislators attempted to append amendments to a number of appropriations measures this week before the Joint Budget Committee. Some passed while others failed; notwithstanding the outcome, some sparked debate.
A proposal to reallocate $500,000.00 from the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement to establish a midwifery education program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences was denied by the Joint Budget Committee on April 18. Tuesday, the committee once more deliberated on the amendment to the UAMS appropriations bill. This time, despite bipartisan opposition, it was approved; Republican Senator Jimmy Hickey of Texarkana voted against it alongside Democratic legislators.
The amendment was proposed by Representative Mary Bentley, R-Perryville, who stated that the addition of certified nurse midwives to the healthcare workforce in Arkansas could enhance maternal health outcomes.
As a data center, state agencies and the Bureau of Legislative Research depend on ACHI. According to data collected by the organization, Arkansas has the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the nation.
Oppositional legislators stated that while they supported midwifery education and other maternal healthcare initiatives, it was not the proper method to achieve this objective by slashing 7% of ACHI’s $7 million budget.
Tuesday, the Joint Budget Committee approved an additional appropriations bill that would grant up to $2 million to “non-healthcare entities”: pregnancy resource centers, which frequently advocate for birth rather than abortion and have religious affiliations (Garner, 2010). Democrat Denise Garner of Fayetteville and a retired nurse highlighted this development.
Garner cast a vote in opposition to the measure both in committee and on the House floor on Thursday. Sanders is currently perusing the measure, which would increase an existing grant fund by twofold.
Bentley maintained that the amendment did not constitute retaliation against ACHI subsequent to her and Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, stating that the state Department of Health had doubts regarding the organization’s research, which formed the basis for its recommendation of COVID-19 protective measures.
Additionally, Sullivan has criticized the Arkansas Public Broadcasting System (PBS), and on Thursday he introduced an amendment that would have reduced by 20% the spending authority of the public television network for its private funds. The amendment was defeated by a vote of a bipartisan group of legislators.
Sullivan asserted that the appropriations reduction was justifiable in light of the finding of dubious spending practices at Arkansas PBS during an audit in 2022. In light of negative audit findings, Sen. Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock, stated that she did not anticipate the Legislature to ever contemplate the same approach to other agencies.
Chesterfield noted that state officials have recently engaged in a debate regarding which organizations qualify as agencies. Earlier this month, the office of Attorney General Tim Griffin issued a statement stating that specific state purchasing laws do not classify the governor’s office as a state agency.
Griffin issued his assessment days prior to the April 15 publication of an audit report that identified possible infringements of multiple laws in Sanders’ office’s $19,000 acquisition of a lectern the previous year. The governor’s office is, according to the report, a state agency.
To clarify the matter, Rep. Julie Mayberry, R-Hensley, suggested amending an appropriations measure for the Department of Transformation and Shared Services with additional language. No one presented a motion in committee in support of the measure, resulting in its failure.
Hickey, who requested an audit of the lectern purchase, stated that he had changed his opinion about Mayberry’s amendment after having initially supported it.
Mayberry stated that she expects the issue will be addressed during the regular session of the legislature in 2025.
Cryptocurrency Regulations and Compensation for State Employees
The Senate approved proposed regulations on cryptocurrency mines on Wednesday; a House committee will consider them on Tuesday. These regulations were the most-discussed non-budgetary item of the fiscal session.
The Arkansas Data Centers Act, or Act 851 of 2023, restricted the ability of municipal governments to regulate cryptocurrency mines. Act 851 was sponsored by Senator Joshua Bryant, R-Rogers. Presently, he is the sponsor of a bill that would impose noise restrictions on cryptocurrency mines, forbid specific foreign entities from owning them, and authorize local governments to enact ordinances regulating the mines. Currently, cryptocurrency miners are operational in the counties of Faulkner and Arkansas. A portion of Faulkner County is represented by Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, who is the sponsor of an additional crypto regulations measure that was approved without opposition.
Crypto mines would be required to obtain a license from the state Oil and Gas Commission under Irvin’s bill. Although he had reservations about the measure, Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, advocated for the establishment of government oversight of cryptocurrency mines.
In addition to King, Democratic Senators Greg Leding of Fayetteville and Stephanie Flowers of Pine Bluff cast their votes against Bryant’s bill.
King and Flowers concurred that the expansion of the cryptocurrency sector in Arkansas is not “smelling right” and called for a special session to consider additional crypto regulations this year. Concerns have been raised by constituents of Arkansas County, according to Representative Flowers, regarding the nearby cryptocurrency mine. An entity from another state has attempted to establish a mine in the vicinity of Harrison, which is in the district of King.
In addition to the crypto laws, the sole non-budgetary bill proposed during the current fiscal session is a 3% raise in the maximum salary for all state employees and a 10% increase in the maximum salary for all current pay grades.
In addition, the amended bill would establish unique remuneration schemes for individuals who accomplish specialized assignments that surpass the ordinary duties of their staff. Tuesday, it was approved by the Joint Budget Committee; the Senate will now consider it.
Alone in Arkansas are Refugees
Committee members of the Joint Budget initiated and assured further deliberations on Thursday regarding the state’s participation in a federal refugee resettlement initiative.
Canopy Northwest Arkansas is scheduled to receive an appropriation of $272,846 from the Division of County Operations of the Department of Human Services. While the appropriation remained unaltered, Representative Ryan Rose (R-Van Buren) advocated against the Legislature extending further funding to Canopy NWA subsequent to the expiration of its contract with DHS.
Canopy NWA’s efforts to resettle hundreds of refugees, according to Rose, “have prompted concerns regarding possible burdens on our state’s infrastructure, resources, and social services.”
“Moreover, concerns exist regarding the ideological congruence between Canopy NWA and the values and priorities of our communities,” he further stated.
Director of Division of County Operations Mary Franklin stated that 169 refugees were resettled in Arkansas during the 2023 federal fiscal year. As of the commencement of fiscal year 2024 in October, the current count stands at 130.