Day Two-The 20th Extraordinary Session of LeadAR

by Meagan Davis, Attorney, Maddox and Maddox (LeadAR Class 20) - February 12, 2024

As a former lobbyist, it was a true joy to return to the Capitol and witness my LeadAR classmates serving as legislators. I was impressed by the breadth and depth of bills presented, the amount of research and preparation put forth by classmates, and the cordial, yet passionate debates that took place throughout the day. I was also thrilled to experience the acting talent of our classmates who posed as concerned members of the public.

Our session convened at 8 a.m. in the Old Supreme Court Room at the State Capitol Building, where Kristin Higgins, a program associate with the Public Policy Center at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, gave our class the rundown for the day and explained the procedure for bill amendments. We were fortunate to have wonderful alumni volunteers present to assist in our various committee meetings: Michael Harris (Class 19), Mark Lambert (Class 19), Scott Bass (Class 19), and J.J. Pitman (Class 14). 

Chaired by "Senator" Harold Clark and vice chair yours truly, the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee convened at 8:30 a.m. The committee heard seven bills, with topics including:

• restoration of voter rights for incarcerated citizens,
• requiring automated external defibrillator machines on municipal trails,
• visibility of tabulations for election reporting,
• updating state code to comply with federal mental health parity laws, and
• safeguarding local authority of short-term rentals.

The LeadAR committee also heard one constitutional amendment to authorize a county, city, town, or other municipal corporation to fund and administer a water system customer assistance program. 

The Education Committee also met at 8:30 a.m., chaired by Desarae Nelson and Vice Chair Michael Mangrum.  The committee heard two bills: 

• to amend the community service requirements for high school students and
• to amend the law regarding the application submitted for the Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom Account Program. 

Chaired by Rachel Bearden and Vice Chair Dan Villamor, LeadAR's Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development Committee convened at 9:15 a.m. and heard five bills. Bill topics included:

• creating a license for livestock and equine dental technicians,
• adopting an official coordinates system,
• crop burning during a burn ban,
• changing liability related to prescribed burns, and
• adding incentive-based accountability to the Arkansas Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to promote environmental education and workforce development in underrepresented communities. 

Four bills were heard by the Public Health Committee, which convened at 10 a.m. and was chaired by David Long and Vice Chair Sylvia Brown. Bill topics included:

• harvesting potable rainwater,
• allowing pharmacists to prescribe and administer epinephrine autoinjectors,
• removing the prohibition of alcohol sales on Christmas Day, and
• creating a premium biosolids marketing incentive act. 

The Committee on Revenue and Taxation also convened at 10 a.m., chaired by Angelique Cooper and Vice Chair Winfrey Norton. The committee heard three bills with topics including:

• reducing the sales and use tax for utilities used by qualifying agricultural structures,
• allowing a state income tax exemption for full-time firefighters, and
• reducing income tax for individuals and small businesses in the state. 

At 10:30 a.m., our committees recessed for a photo op with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. In true Class 20 fashion, our brief wait in the Governor’s conference room was fun and entertaining. We were blessed by the musical stylings of Arnetta Bradford, before being greeted by the governor and taking group photos. 

After the photo, it was back to work for legislators! Committees reconvened to finish up their agendas before lunch. 

At noon, the Arkansas Press Association hosted our class for a media industry panel discussion. The panel was extremely engaging and offered a broad range of media experience. Panelists included Mitch Bettis with Arkansas Business Publishing Group, Neal Gladner with Arkansas Broadcasters Association, Alex Keilen with KARK, and Michele Towne with Inviting Arkansas. I was fascinated by the conversations related to social media’s impact on media and thrilled to hear print, in fact, is not dead! It was also interesting to learn about the various niche media markets just in central Arkansas. Our class could have continued the Q&A for hours, but our talented moderator Ashley Kemp Wimberley kept us on track and at 1:45 p.m. we headed back to the Capitol. 

Stephanie Malone (Class 18) served as the LeadAR President Pro Tempore for the full meeting of the LeadAR Senate. For more than two hours, LeadAR legislators passionately presented their legislation, asked thoughtful questions, and engaged in healthy debates regarding the proposed legislation. It was a true example of how the legislative process should function; engaged legislators fervently advocating for their citizens while acting with civility and compassion toward their colleagues. In all, the LeadAR General Assembly passed 17 bills, one constitutional amendment and one resolution. 

It was a wonderful day at the Capitol! I hope to see some of these bills introduced at the 2025 legislative session.

LeadAR is a program designed to help Arkansans broaden their understanding of issues and opportunities facing our state and strengthen their ability to make a difference. For more information about LeadAR, visit the website or contact Robinson, jrobinson@uada.edu, or Lisa Davis, ldavis@uada.edu.