On Wednesday, January 27, 2021, Arkansas Senate Bill 96 was up for a vote on the Senate floor. What is normally a benign appropriation bill was brought out of the batch and singled out among a few others for discussion. SB96 is specifically a bill providing funding for the Governor’s staff, including his executive secretary, chief legal counsel, and various assistants handling the Governor’s work. Senator Dan Sullivan (R- SD 21) spoke against the bill saying he was looking for a change in behavior. Senator Sullivan was alluding to Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) not inviting him this past year to join alongside other community leaders inside Senator Sullivan’s district to help develop solutions to problems arising from the Covid pandemic and the policies following it.
Alongside Senator Sullivan, Senator Trent Garner (R- SD 27) also spoke against the bill saying if this bill is passed too early in the session, phone calls are ignored, referencing a lack of two way communication from the Governor’s office.
Initially the vote on the Senate floor was enough to pass the appropriation bill. Upon this realization Senator Garner made a strategy vote, switching his “nay” vote to “aye” allowing him to give a notice of reconsideration, further delaying the transmittal to the House of Representatives for 3 days and allowing for further discussion on the bill.
Upon giving this notice of reconsideration, Senator Blake Johnson (R- SD 20) immediately made his own strategic move in favor of the Governor and made a motion to suspend the operation of Senate Rule 13 (notice of reconsideration) allowing for immediate passage of the bill. Ultimately this motion was passed by a vote of 26 to 6 with 3 “not voting”, allowing for SB96 to pass the Senate and move on to the House.
This same scenario also played out for SB133, an appropriation (funding) bill for the Governor’s Legislative Liason’s (lobbyist), and in the same fashion was passed by the Senate.
The larger issue here is the attitude that arises from fellow legislators, critics, and the media when a few concerned legislators take a stand and question the status quo. From the average constituents perspective, giving the Governor carte blanc on spending tax money is never a good idea when he dismisses the legislators for any reason.
Arkansas online columnist, John Brummett, tweeted, “senate finally passes routine appropriation for governor’s legislative liaisons. though sen. trent garner filed notice of adolescence. er, i mean reconsideration, which holds the bill ‘til monday. word is that governor consented to pretend to care about six or eight senators.” This represents a consensus among the left and those submissively compliant who were hidden under previous political climates. “Shut up, get in line, and don’t question my authority. We’ll tell you what is best for you; you wouldn’t understand.” As John Brummett tweeted, the Governor does not care about you, but he will pretend to care if it gets his funding bill passed this week.
In week 3 of the 93rd General Session, it is apparent there are legislators who lead, those who follow, and those who want you to get out of the way because you are asking too many legitimate questions.
Thank you Senators Dan Sullivan and Trent Garner for standing up against tyrannical behavior and asking questions.
