Daily Arkansas Legislative Update Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Daily Legislative Update

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

23rd Day of the 89th General Assembly

Provided by the Arkansas State Chamber

TODAY AT THE CAPITOL

House convenes at 1:30 p.m.

Senate convenes at 1:30 p.m.

 

Committee Meetings:

 

JOINT:

7:30 AM Room B, MAC JBC-PERSONNEL Agenda
9:00 AM Room A, MAC JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE 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

 

HOUSE:

10:00 AM Room 149 JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE Agenda
10:00 AM Room 130 PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE- HOUSE Agenda
10:00 AM Room 138 EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE Agenda
10:00 AM Room “B” MAC PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION- HOUSE Agenda

 

 

ISSUES

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

***HB 1018 by Rep. Jim Nickels would increase the maximum potential unemployment benefits in a benefit year from 25 to 26 times the worker’s weekly benefit amount. The Department of Workforce Services estimates increasing Arkansas’s jobless benefits from 25 to 26 weeks would increase benefit payments – and reduce the Trust Fund balance – by approximately $6 million per year.         

 

Rep. Nickels’ bill would reverse a key piece of Act 861 of 2011, the unemployment insurance legislation the State Chamber and others worked with Sen. Jonathan Dismang and Rep. Davy Carter to pass during the last regular session. HB 1018 has been set for a special order of business on Thursday, February 14 in the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee. The State Chamber/AIA opposes this bill.                           _

 

***HB 1032 by Rep. Denny Altes would require the Department of Workforce Services to conduct bi-weekly interviews with persons making claims for unemployment benefits. This bill remains on the deferred list on the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee agenda.Cost information is not yet available.                       _

 

EMINENT DOMAIN

***HB 1042 by Rep. Nate Bell would provide limitations on the acquisition of private property by eminent domain for private interests. It is on the deferred list in the House Judiciary Committee while Rep. Bell works to address concerns some organizations some have expressed about the bill.              _

 

***HB 1192 by Rep. Kim Hammer would prohibit improvement districts from using the power of eminent domain to acquire lands or rights-of-way for their use. It is on the House Judiciary Committee agenda.         _

 

SCHOOL CHOICE

***HB 1181 by Rep. Kim Hammer would repeal and replace the Public School Choice Act. It is on the House Education Committee agenda, but the Committee’s agenda lists a Special Order on a different bill at 10:15 a.m. so we don’t expect this bill to be heard today.   _

           

 

STATE CHAMBER/AIA BILL TRACKING

To date, the House has filed 249 bills and the Senate has filed 242 bills.

 

The State Chamber/AIA is tracking 111 bills and resolutions.

 

New bills added to State Chamber/AIA tracking today:

SB 238  Wyatt, David (D) Deletes the requirement on buyers of scrap metal to take a digital thumbprint of the seller, and requires recording of a specific description of the scrap metal purchased including any identifying marks or unique characteristics.
SB 241 Wyatt, David (D) Deletes the requirement that a sport shooting range must be in compliance with noise control ordinances of units of local government that applied to the range at the time of construction.

 

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

 

 

TOMORROW AT THE CAPITOL

Committee Meetings:

 

JOINT:

7:30 AM Room B, MAC JBC-SPECIAL LANGUAGE Agenda
9:00 AM Room A, MAC JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

 

SENATE:

10:00 AM 272 PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE – SENATE Agenda
10:00 AM Room 171 JUDICIARY COMMITTEE – SENATE Agenda
10:00 AM Room 207 EDUCATION COMMITTEE – SENATE Agenda

 

HOUSE:

10:00 AM Room 130 AGING, CHILDREN AND YOUTH, LEGISLATIVE & MILITARY AFFAIRS- HOUSE Agenda
10:00 AM Room 138 AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT- HOUSE Agenda
10:00 AM ROOM 149 INSURANCE & COMMERCE- HOUSE Agenda
10:00 AM ROOM B, MAC CITY, COUNTY & LOCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE- HOUSE Agenda
10:00 AM Room 151 STATE AGENCIES & GOVT’L AFFAIRS- HOUSE Agenda

 

 

ISSUES

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

***HB 1033 by Rep. Denny Altes would require employees to contribute 0.5 percent of all wages to the Unemployment Compensation Fund. It remains on the deferred list in the House Insurance and Commerce Committee. Cost information is not yet available.     _

 

***SB 38 by Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson would require applicants and recipients of unemployment benefits to be tested for illegal drug use. It is on the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee agenda.                     _

 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTS

***HB 1145 by Rep. Jim Nickels would repeal the authority by which local governments contract with chambers of commerce, industrial development corporations, or similar corporations, for economic and industrial management services. It is on the deferred list in the House Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee.      _

 

SCHOOL CHOICE

***SB 65 by Sen. Johnny Key would repeal the Public School Choice Act of 1989 to create the Public School Choice Act of 2013, transferring most of the repealed language from the previous law but omitting any mention of race as a factor in approving or denying a transfer except in the case of a conflict with a court order remedying the past effects of segregation. It would require school boards to adopt standards for approving or denying transfers and require all school districts to participate in the program. SB 65, which was amended last week, is on hold in the Senate Education Committee pending the completion of an updated fiscal impact statement.                         _

 

***SB 114 by Sen. Joyce Elliott would repeal the Public School Choice Act of 1989, replacing it with the Arkansas Interdistrict Public School Choice Act of 2013. It is on the Senate Education Committee agenda.                          _

 

TAX REDUCTION FOR MANUFACTURERS AND IPPs

***HB 1218 by Rep. Lane Jean and Sen. Bill Sample seeks to further reduce the sales taxes paid by manufacturers classified in NAICS codes 31-32-33. It would reduce the sales tax on manufacturers’ utilities from 2.625 percent to 1 percent in 2013 and exempt them from sales tax in 2014. The bill also continues the phased reduction of the excise tax on the purchase of natural gas used in the production of electricity with exemption occurring in 2016. However, the one-eighth (1/8) of one percent conservation tax and the temporary sales tax of one-half (1/2) of one percent highway tax would not be eliminated for manufacturers or independent power producers. HB 1218 has been referred to the House Revenue and Tax Committee. This bill was filed on behalf of the State Chamber/AIA. Please encourage your legislators to support this job-saving bill.      _

 

NET OPERATING LOSS CARRY-FORWARD

***SB 108 by Sen. Keith Ingram and Rep. Jeremy Gillam would extend the period for which a net operating loss may be carried forward for purposes of state income tax to 10 years or until the loss has been exhausted or absorbed by the taxable income of a succeeding year, whichever is earlier. State and Federal Net Operating Loss (NOL) tax rules apply to businesses that report a taxable loss for a given tax year. These losses can be applied against previous years’ earnings or against future earnings. More than 40 states permit NOL carryovers of 10 – 20 years. Eighteen (18) states permit NOL carry back and carry forward. The IRS permits a carry back of three years and carry forward of 20 years. Arkansas is one of seven states that restricts NOL carry forward to five years only. Extending the carry-forward period for net operating losses is a piece of the State Chamber/AIA’s 2013 Legislative Agenda. Please encourage your legislators to support this bill. SB 108 has been referred to the Senate Revenue and Tax Committee.          _

 

 

CONTACTINFORMATION

State Senators: 501-682-2902

State Representatives: 501-682-6211

To view schedules, calendars, bill information and legislator information, visit:  www.arkleg.state.ar.us.

To view live stream video and audio from the Arkansas House of Representatives, visit www.arkansashouse.org.