Week 11 Summary of Conduit Bill Analysis (see Details Below):
OPPOSE
SB459 – Increased Corporate Welfare for Moviemaking; $8 million increase in Tax Credits – OPPOSE
SB471 – Directing Funds to Public Schools for Children Not Attending There – OPPOSE
SUPPORT
HB1681 – Prohibiting Universal Basic Income Programs by Governments – SUPPORT
HB1682 – Stopping Fraudsters in Welfare System; Getting Back Fraudulent Payments – SUPPORT
SB474 – Increased Data Review to Prevent Fraud in Medicaid/Food Stamps – SUPPORT
Bill Details:
HB1681 – Prohibiting Universal Basic Income Programs by Governments – SUPPORT
By: Rep. Wade Andrews
This bill would promote the value of work by banning any local governments or state agencies from establishing a basic universal income program that would guarantee a recipient a cash payment unless enacted by state law.
HB1682 – Stopping Fraudsters in Unemployment System; Getting Back Fraudulent Payments – SUPPORT
By: Rep. Wade Andrews
This bill would increase penalties for unemployment benefit fraudsters by banning them from receiving or increasing unemployment benefits for up to ten years. A penalty of 20% of the fraudulent benefits received would be assessed against the fraudster. The state could seek to recover the original money and the penalty back through federal and state tax offset programs.
SB474 – Increased Data Review to Prevent Fraud in Medicaid/Food Stamps – SUPPORT
By: Sen. Joshua Bryant & Rep. Justin Gonzales
This bill would require the department of human services to obtain employment and income data assets from external data providers in real-time to help make eligibility determinations for those receiving Medicaid and/or food stamps. This will help catch fraud and prevent illegal payments more quickly.
SB459 – Increased Corporate Welfare for Moviemaking; $8 million increase in Tax Credits – OPPOSE
By: Sen. Jonathan Dismang & Rep. Charlene Fite
This bill would increase the government welfare tax credit program for moviemakers like woke Hollywood corporations. It would basically increase the current special interest carve-out tax benefit from $4 million currently to $12 million to those who make movies/tv shows in Arkansas. Tax credits are great. But they should be applied to all Arkansas businesses and not just to special interest groups such as makers of movies.
SB471 – Directing Funds to Public Schools for Children Not Attending There – OPPOSE
By: Sen. Clarke Tucker & Rep. Ashley Hudson
This bill would undermine the recently passed children’s educational freedom accounts under the LEARNS Act. It would allow receipt of funds for an educational freedom account to be re-directed back to the child’s assigned public school instead of being used for the child’s schooling. This would allow funds which are earmarked for the EFA to be given to public schools.
This bill appears to be a way by those who oppose the LEARNS Act to encourage people who will not use the EFA personally to take the funds and push money back into the public school system at the expense of kids who need school choice options.
This bill is an effort to thwart the LEARNS Act, harm kids and families who cannot afford outside schooling on their own, and blindly exhaust funds that could otherwise be used to better educate children pursuant to their parent’s choices.
Status of Bills Tracked by Conduit on Weekly Scorecard Reports:
OPPOSE
HB1087 – Increased Speeding Tickets + Required Community Service – OPPOSE
STATUS: Withdrawn by Author
HB1189 – New Licensure Regulations/Penalties on Behavior Analysts – OPPOSE
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Referred to Senate Committee
HB1237 – Increased Regulations and Costs for Ridesharing – OPPOSE
STATUS: Referred to Committee; Hearing scheduled 3/28
HB1275 – Banning Access to Paper Medical Records if Online Access Provided – OPPOSE
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Referred to Senate Committee; Hearing scheduled 3/28
SB207 – Increased Franchise Taxes; Banning Businesses from Doing Business – OPPOSE
STATUS: Passed Senate (Vote); Passed House (Vote);
SB233/SB234/SB235 – Promoting Election Fraud and Cheating – OPPOSE
STATUS: Referred to Senate Committee; SB235 Amended 3/24; Hearing scheduled 3/28
HB1422 – Special Tax Credits for Healthcare Professionals – OPPOSE
STATUS: Referred to House Committee; Amended 3/9.
SB290 – 10% Pay Increase for Elected County Officials – OPPOSE
STATUS: Passed Senate (Vote); Passed House (Vote); Signed into Law – Act 366 of 2023
SB298 – Price Fixing for Government Nursing Faculty – OPPOSE
STATUS: Amended, re-referred to Senate committee. Hearing scheduled 3/27
SB306 – Increasing Welfare Dependency with Expansion of Food Stamp Eligibility – OPPOSE
STATUS: Passed Senate (Vote); Referred to House committee; Hearing scheduled 3/28
HB1522 – Massive Raises for District Court Personnel Across the State – OPPOSE
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Referred to Senate committee; Hearing scheduled 3/27
HB1537 – Promoting Voter Fraud; Electronic Voter Registration – OPPOSE
STATUS: Referred to committee;
HB1538 – Regulations on Professional Development for Private School Teachers – OPPOSE
STATUS: Amended. Referred to committee; Hearing scheduled 3/28
HB1540 – Holding Down Intellectually Advanced Kids Going to Public Schools – OPPOSE
STATUS: Referred to committee; Hearing scheduled 3/28
HB1544/HB1545 – Changing Definitions to Increase Government Loans/Scholarships Exclusively for Medical Students – OPPOSE
STATUS: Passed House HB1544 (Vote); Passed House HB1545 (Vote); Referred to Senate Committee; Hearing scheduled 3/27
HB1598 – Campaign Contributions to Candidates Given to other Candidates – OPPOSE
STATUS: Referred to House committee;
STATUS: Passed House committee; House calendar 3/27
HB1628 – Prohibiting Private Contract Rights for Covenants Not to Compete – OPPOSE
STATUS: Referred to House committee;
SUPPORT
HB1012 – Increased Standard Deduction – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to Committee; On Deferred Agenda
HB1016 – Standard Deduction Increased by Inflation; No Cap – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to Committee; On Deferred Agenda
HB1026 – Prohibits Cities Enacting a Local Income Tax – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Passed Senate (Vote) Signed into law – Act 96 of 2023
HB1027 – Required Voter Approval for New/Increased A&P Taxes – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Passed Senate (Vote). Signed into law – Act 190 of 2023.
HB1032 – Increased Homestead Property Tax Credit – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Passed Senate (Vote); Signed into law – Act 315 of 2023.
HB1067 – No Residency Requirement for Firefighters – SUPPORT
STATUS: Heard in committee; Failed on voice vote – Rep. Carol Dalby & Municipal League helped kill. Amended 3/14 & 3/16.
SB5 – Telehealth for Vets – SUPPORT
STATUS: Heard on 1/24/23 in Committee; Opposition from out of state academics, cattle related associations; no vote taken. Amended 2/6, 2/8, 2/20, 3/0; Passed Committee. Failed Senate (Vote); Expunged vote on which bill failed.
SB42 – Deregulation on Licensed Counselors – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed Senate (Vote); Passed House (Vote); Signed into Law – Act 78 of 2023
HB1045 – Repeal of the “Throwback Rule” – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to Committee; On Deferred Agenda.
HB1082 – Occupational Therapist Licensing Compact – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Amended 3/1; Passed Senate (Vote); Signed into Law – Act 257 of 2023
HB1149 – Prohibit Gifts from Lobbyists to Executive Branch Cabinet Secretaries – SUPPORT
STATUS: Withdrawn by the Author (1/25/23)
HB1155 – Increased Childcare Access – At-Home Childcare Providers – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Passed Senate (Vote); Signed into Law – Act 60 of 2023
SB80 – Exempt Capital Gains Tax from Property Conveyed via Eminent Domain – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to Committee; Amended 3/14.
HB1196 – Part Time Work Requirement for Public Housing Benefits – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Passed Senate (Vote); Signed into law – Act 160 of 2023.
HB1207 – Fast Track for Local Permits – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to Committee; Amended 2/20 & 3/13; Hearing scheduled 3/28
HB1239 – Repeal of Annual Franchise Tax on Businesses – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to Committee; Amended 3/16; on Deferred agenda.
SB90 – Occupational Licenses Streamlined for Out of State Equivalents – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed Senate (Vote); Passed House (Vote);
SB125 – Increased Free Speech Protections on College Campuses – SUPPORT
STATUS: Presented in Committee, Pulled by Sponsor due to lack of support. Amended 2/8/23; Re-Referred to Committee. Amended 3/14 & 3/15; Re-Referred to Committee. Hearing scheduled 3/27.
HB1345 – Increased Tax Deduction for Teacher Classroom Expenses – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to Committee; On deferred agenda.
SB134 – Tax Cut on Used Vehicles, Trailers, Semi-Trailers – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to Committee; Amended 2/15; No hearing scheduled
HB1360 – Electrician Services Deregulation – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Amended 3/2; Passed Senate (Vote); Signed into Law – Act 318 of 2023.
HB1382 – Tax Credits for Re-Entry to Work – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to House committee; amended 2/27; on deferred list.
HB1399 – Publication Requirements Reform for Cities and Counties – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to Committee; Amended 2/13 & 3/1;
SB197 – Protection of Private Property Rights Against Local Regulations – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed Senate (Vote); Referred to House committee; Amended 3/15.
SB206 – Partisan School Board Elections at General Elections with 2-Year Terms – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to committee; Amended 2/15; Hearing scheduled 3/27
SB231 – Cooling Off Period for Legislators to Become Lobbyist-Consultants – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to committee; Amended 3/6; Hearing scheduled 3/28.
HB1401 – Reduction in Cash Welfare Program – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Passed Senate (Vote); Signed into Law – Act 266 of 2023
HB1407 – Improving Election Integrity – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Amended 3/14. Passed Senate Committee; Senate Floor 3/27
HB1410 – Let Youth Work – No Government Certificate for Employment – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Passed Senate (Vote); Signed into law – Act 195 of 2023.
SB255 – No Outside Funding of Elections – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed Senate (Vote); Amended 3/8; Passed House (Vote); Signed into law – Act 352 of 2023.
SB258 – No Absentee Drop Boxes for Elections – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed Senate (Vote); Amended 3/8; Passed House (Vote); Signed into law – Act 353
HB1457 – Poll Watchers Bill of Rights – SUPPORT
STATUS: Amended 2/27 & 3/8. Passed House (Vote); Referred to Senate Committee; Hearing scheduled 3/28
HB1491 – No New Tax Assessments without Legislative Review – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to House committee. On deferred list.
SB294 – AR LEARNS Act – Educational Freedom Accounts – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed Senate (Vote); Passed House (Vote); Signed into law – Act 237 of 2023.
SB304 – Capping Superintendent Buyout Packages – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed by Senate committee; Withdrawn by Author.
HB1510 – Special Election Reform – SUPPORT
STATUS: Amended 3/1; Passed House (Vote); Passed Senate (Vote); Signed into Law – Act 300 of 2023.
HB1516 – Allowing Businesses to Educate Students for School Credit – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to House committee; Amended 3/14. Hearing scheduled 3/28
HB1532 – Reducing Government Filing Regulations for Non-Profits – SUPPORT
Status: Passed House (Vote); Passed Senate (Vote); Signed into Law – Act 338 of 2023
SB278 – Ending AR Works – Obamacare Program; Shift to Fee for Service Program – SUPPORT
Status: Referred to Senate committee; no hearing scheduled. Fiscal Impact Issued – Total Spending Reduction of $867.4 million; Estimated tax cut of $80.4 million.
SB338 – Deregulation on Marketing Eggs – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed Senate (Vote); Referred to House committee.
HB1595 – No Annual Renewal Registrations for PACs – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed House committee; House calendar 3/27
HB1599 – Increased Free Speech Contribution Limits – SUPPORT
STATUS: Passed House (Vote); Referred to Senate Committee
HB1615 – Conscience Protection Act – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to House committee; Hearing scheduled 3/28
HB1616 – Publication Notices Allowed Online – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to House committee;
HB1661 – Full Repeal of Sales Tax on Food – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to House committee;
SB442 – Return of Court Costs/Fees to those found Not Guilty – SUPPORT
STATUS: Referred to Senate committee; Hearing scheduled 3/27
