Legislature to convene at noon for inaugural fiscal session
10:00 a.m., Monday February 8, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Live blogging the opening session
We've just notified the governor that we've convened for our joint session, and he'll be upstairs to address the legislature in a few minutes. We're now reading bills across the desk for the first and second readings.
House Rules will convene upon adjournment to prohibit the acceptance of campaign contributions for any House member running for any elected office. After that, it looks like the Capitol may close. It's coming down hard now.
Update (12:55 p.m.): The governor is now speaking about our obligation to remain focused and brief in balancing the budget and setting the amount of scholarships from the Arkansas Lottery. He discussed in detail the budget and specifically the concerns about Medicaid services. He discussed the cooperation and trust that exists between the governor's office and the legislative branch and suggested that it is one reason that we've enjoyed some success as a state in staying out of many of the problems other states have recently experienced.
Under the state's Inclement Weather Policy, State operations in the Little Rock area will be delayed two hours Monday morning due to snow accumulations in parts of Central Arkansas. State Agency directors may authorize additional delays for employees who live in areas that have become especially treacherous.
I spent the evening before the session catching the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra on a tribute to African-American composers over at the Lonoke Baptist Church. I ended up sleeping briefly and drove in here to Little Rock at 2:00 this morning. The rain switched over to snow just north of Malvern. Be careful out there.
It's been a madhouse around here today and this week, preparing to be out of the office for the upcoming inaugural fiscal legislative session on Monday. Here's Monday's Under the Dome lineup:
6:15 a.m.: I'll appear on KATV's Daybreak with Jessica Dean to talk about the session and technology;
11:00 a.m.: House leadership meets
12:00 p.m.: Legislature convenes
12:30 p.m.: Governor's address
Upon Adjournment: House Rules Committee meets to interpret Rule 106 (House members accepting campaign contributions during the session)
2:30 p.m.: Joint Budget Committee
As to the House Rules vote: I'll vote, as I think others will as well, that Rule 106 prohibits members from accepting campaign contributions during a session of the General Assembly. I've already told supporters in a recent letter that I will not have fundraisers or accept donations during this period. I don't think we can interfere with federal races, which are governed by the Federal Election Commission. I don't know how that will play out.
Over 270 bills have been filed to date. The deadline for filing concurrent resolutions on non-appropriation bills is Monday. The only item I anticipate to be filed ahead of that deadline is the legislation fixing the scholarship amounts, which will likely be the only non-fiscal legislation debated during this session. It should be a quick session, and I anticipate that we'll be home by the first week of March. Here's the governor's weekly radio address on the fiscal session:
The Little Rock Zoo's two Red River Hogs are likely to predict winter's end this morning at 10:30. And this can't be a political site without a report from Gobbler's Knob. PunxuPunxsa The varmint is predicting six more weeks of winter. Clear skies in PA.
Pre-empting health insurance mandates in the states
A movement by conservative lawmakers in a majority of the states will seek to tack on constitutional amendments prohibiting government health insurance mandates, the AP reports this morning. Whether any potential constitutional amendments to state constitutions could actually prohibit a federal mandate is another matter. One proposal last fall being considered in the U.S. Senate, however, would've allowed states to opt out of any potential health care requirement.
Texarkana Gazette on the county jail reimbursement issue
The Texarkana Gazette editorializes on the the state's reimbursement to counties for housing our inmates in this morning's paper. As has been discussed this week, Governor Beebe told sheriffs that they should lobby us to come up with the $10 million or so to get all counties reimbursed for holding our inmates. Many can't be transferred to the pen because we're already busting at the seams. We're supposed to pay them $28 per prisoner, per day, but the fund has run dry. The Texarkana Gazette wants us to find a way to get the counties paid, and pronto. I agree.
The easiest course of action appears to be a portion of the General Improvement Fund that has been dedicated to other projects but which was held back due to unforeseen circumstances -- or a rainy day -- like this. There's approximately $15 million left in that pot. While there are many essential services to be funded with the shallow pool of resources the state currently has, this one is high on the priority list, and the counties should be reimbursed.
Local efforts for international investments Click play on the console below:
Arkansas has foreign offices in Tokyo and Beijing, and several other states have offices in Taipei, Hong Kong, and other cities across Asia (and other parts of the world) for purposes of economic development. Governor Beebe will travel to Cuba next week to look at ways that Arkansas could seize opportunities there in an event the trade embargo is lifted.
Governor declares state of emergency for winter storm
Governor Beebe declared a State of Emergency this morning in response to the ice and snow already in the state, and accumulations are expected to continue. The declaration carries with it up to $20,000 from the Governor's Disaster Fund for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management to supply additional support and resources if needed.
With road conditions expected to deteriorate as the day progresses, Beebe also initiated his Inclement Weather Policy, stating that only those State employees designated as essential personnel by their agencies are required to report to work today. A separate declaration will suspend some federal guidelines that regulate utility trucks. This will allow utility companies to work extra hours in responding to outages and storm damage. The Arkansas National Guard also has personnel and supplies ready to go for emergency response.
We're not getting any ice down here in Texarkana -- plenty wet, but hovering just above the freezing mark.
Speaker Robbie Wills will officially kick off his bid for the open congressional seat being vacated by retiring Congressman Vic Snyder today. The event will take place at Pickles Gap at noon.
Side note on 1st District candidates
The New Orleans Times Picayune is reporting this morning that Congressman Joseph Cao's (R-New Orleans) communications director Princella Smith is considering a run for the 1st Congressional District here in Arkansas.
Update: It appears as though former Rep. Chris Thyer (D-Jonesboro) will not be seeking the congressional seat being vacated by Marion Berry.
It's long since been sold out, but Governor Beebe will be the featured speaker at today's Political Animals Club at the Governor's Mansion. With all that's going on in Arkansas politics, should be a good meeting.
The Lincoln for Senate campaign caused a stir that ultimately reached national tv last night because of a broad and vague press release that stated as follows:
For planning purposes, be advised that Senator Blanche Lincoln will make an important campaign announcement tomorrow morning, Tuesday, January 26, via the campaign's Twitter feed: twitter.com/blanche4senate.
By the 8:00 pm broadcast of Countdown, Keith Olberman was comparing this news with a CNN tweet that rumored of another potential Dem retirement. Alas, the announcement was about campaign funds. Lincoln now has over $5,000,000 in the bank for her upcoming election.
The second of three sitting Democratic congressmen in Arkansas has announced his retirement effective at the end of this term. On January 15, 2nd District Congressman Vic Snyder announced that he would not seek reelection. This morning, 1st District Congressman Marion Berry announced that he also will forego another election for the U.S. House in 2010.
Berry was elected in 1996 when I was fresh out of college. No one couldn't appreciate his willingness to speak his mind (fast forward to 1:40), and I got to see that first hand several times. He'll be missed in my household. I did have the opportunity to work for his reelection efforts briefly in 2000. This announcement will bring out a lot of names, and we'll run through them all once this campaign for the 1st District develops.
I'm sure no one's noticed that this blog has been on autopilot for about three months while I worked overtime here at the office in order to get caught up and put back some extra resources before the upcoming double whammy: the fiscal legislative session and the upcoming primary on May 18. We're really seeing some major changes in Arkansas politics, so it's time to get back with it. Here we are burning the midnight oil at campaign headquarters on Friday night flaunting the child labor laws:
Here's a picture of a SeaArk boat built in Monticello in action in Haiti this week. A former high school classmate of mine works in quality at SeaArk and passed this picture along through his family.
I just received the news release from my former boss, Congressman Vic Snyder, announcing that he will not seek reelection to the U.S. House in 2010. His statement in full:
“2010 will be a robust election year during which great forces collide to set the direction for our country for another two years. Over the last several weeks Betsy and I have had discussions with family and friends including other members of Congress (Rep. David Price, Rep. Susan Davis, and our own Sen. Mark Pryor) regarding the appropriate balance between family and Congressional service when a family has very young children. I have concluded that these election-year forces are no match for the persuasive and powerful attraction of our three one-year old boys under the leadership of their three-year old brother, and I have decided not to run for re-election. It is the greatest professional honor of my life to represent Arkansas in the U.S. House of Representatives, and I am so grateful to the people of Arkansas to have had this wonderful opportunity. That honor will now pass to someone else at the conclusion of this term.”
“This decision has not been an easy one. Two weeks ago my campaign manager came on board, but that first morning I advised him to do nothing to begin the campaign because of my doubts regarding running. The onset of the new year, the time I always begin organizing my campaigns, did nothing to remove these doubts.”
“I have put very little thought into what the work side of my life will look like at the end of this term, although it is clear from observing how much our four little boys eat that I will be working for a long, long time.”
There'll be plenty of candidates to come out here in the next few weeks following this announcement, and we'll list all the potential candidates right here.
Because continued shortfalls in State revenues, Governor Mike Beebe has accepted a recommendation by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration to cut the state budget by an additional $106 million for the current fiscal year. The governor's proposed balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2011, which will be detailed by DF&A officials on Tuesday, anticipates a return to current budget levels on July 1.
"Arkansans are being increasingly cautious with their money, and our government must reflect that in our use of tax dollars," Beebe said. "While we still foresee a recovery for our State economy, our spending must match the pace of that recovery to keep our budget balanced."
The revised forecast means a 2.4 percent budget reduction across-the-board. Other education funds will be used to protect public education and adequacy requirements. Rainy-day funds and other set-asides will be used to lessen the impact of the cuts for the Departments of Human Services, Correction and Community Corrections.
Governor declares state of emergency ahead of winter storms
Governor Beebe declared a State of Emergency Wednesday afternoon to help Arkansas officials prepare for the severe temperatures, winds, and winter precipitation expected to enter Arkansas. The declaration carries with it up to $50,000 from the Governor's Disaster Fund for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management to supply additional support and resources if needed.
Officials at ADEM have been in contact with county emergency officials since Tuesday, working to anticipate where additional needs may arise. The Arkansas National Guard is also preparing to provide additional support if necessary, including potentially using armories as overflow shelters.
Max reports that Blytheville Mayor Barry Harrison (pictured) is just about officially in the Democratic primary race to succeed term-limited state Sen. Steve Bryles. He'll join retired Circuit Judge David Burnett of Osceola in the Dem primary.
Gov. Beebe and ADHE Director Jim Purcell will make an announcement at 1:30 today at LR Mills regarding the simplification of the college scholarship application process in Arkansas. I'll post a summary after the announcement.
House Rules will convene upon adjournment to prohibit the acceptance of campaign contributions for any House member running for any elected office. After that, it looks like the Capitol may close. It's coming down hard now.
House Rules will convene upon adjournment to prohibit the acceptance of campaign contributions for any House member running for any elected office. After that, it looks like the Capitol may close. It's coming down hard now.
