Latest news with #JimmyHickey
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas legislative panel removes additional prison funding bill from consideration
Sen. Jimmy Hickey (left), R-Texarkana, votes present on House Bill 1427, cosponsored by Sen. Missy Irvin (center), R-Mountain View, on the Arkansas Senate floor on February 18, 2025. At right is Sen. Ricky Hill, R-Cabot. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) A legislative budget committee on Monday pulled down a bill that would have added $250 million to a fund dedicated to prison construction in Arkansas. The decision comes less than a week after state lawmakers said a separate $750 million appropriation bill to support construction of a 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County appears dead after five failed votes in the Senate. Disputes over the two bills are the latest in a monthslong battle to fund and build a new state penitentiary in the rural western Arkansas county. Senate Bill 633 would authorize the addition of $250 million from general revenue to a correctional facilities fund that the Legislature placed $330 million into in 2023. State lawmakers also set aside $75 million in 2022 for expanding the state's prison capacity, and that money has already been allocated to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Republican lawmakers questioned the intent of SB 633 during the Joint Budget Committee's meeting Monday. Rep. Jim Wooten, R-Beebe, asked if the bill was 'a backdoor way' to fund the new penitentiary. Meanwhile, Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, sought assurances that state officials wouldn't try to pull money from a separate $350 million miscellaneous appropriation to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration to support prison construction. 'I have no problem moving money into this account, but I think that we need to have a path of where we think we're going…but what I want to make sure is that it's not our intention that we're going to use a large part of that miscellaneous appropriation that we give through DF&A to fund this prison,' Hickey said. Arkansas lawmakers consider other funding methods as they abandon sixth prison appropriation vote Specifically, Hickey asked if the $75 million that's already been allocated to the corrections department would be used to assess a more detailed cost estimate of the whole project as requested by some state lawmakers. Magnolia Republican and Joint Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Lane Jean said the goal is to spend the $75 million first. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has called for expanding bed capacity at state prisons to alleviate overcrowding in county jails. A lack of space at Arkansas prisons has led to some state inmates being housed in local jails. Controversy arose last October when Sanders announced the state purchased 815 acres near Charleston for nearly $3 million as a site to construct a new prison. Local residents and state officials decried the lack of transparency in the decision and have pushed back against the project for months. The Arkansas Board of Corrections has moved forward with the project by hiring a construction management company and seeking proposals from architectural firms and contractors. Searcy Republican and JBC Vice Chair Sen. Jonathan Dismang recommended removing SB 633 from consideration Monday, noting that the corrections department isn't likely to use all $75 million before next year's fiscal session in April when lawmakers could again explore options for funding prison expansion. If officials do need additional funding before then, they have the ability to request lawmakers' approval for a temporary appropriation increase, Dismang said. 'There's no reason to have a continued debate this morning with where we are in the session,' he said. The Arkansas Legislature is scheduled to finish the bulk of its work by Wednesday, before recessing for a few weeks and officially adjourning the legislative session on May 5. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SESSION SNAPSHOT: Prison, library battles continue as Arkansas legislative session nears end
Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, chairs a meeting of the Senate Committee on Revenue and Taxation on April 9, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Long days and nights at the Capitol were the norm during the 12th week of the legislative session as Arkansas lawmakers rushed to get their bills considered ahead of their April 16 deadline. Legislators sent to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders a bill that would establish harsher penalties for undocumented migrants who commit felonies, one of her priorities for the session. They also advanced bills that would amend the state's social media age verification law that was blocked in federal court and would allow parents to sue social media platforms for harming minors, additional legislative priorities for Sanders. While the immigration bill still awaited the governor's signature as of midday Friday, Sanders signed several other bills into law this week, including one that would clarify Arkansas' public meetings law by specifying what city council, quorum court and school board members can discuss outside of a public meeting. Meanwhile, lawmakers advanced legislation that sponsors hope will make it to the governor's desk next week, including bills that would increase the asset limit for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices and policies in local government and repeal a statewide mandate for public water system fluoridation. A committee also voted down a bill Wednesday that would extend Medicaid coverage for women to 12 months after birth if they don't already qualify for the state's Medicaid expansion program. Sanders has repeatedly said 12-month postpartum coverage would be 'redundant' and 'duplicative' because the state has other insurance coverage options. After five failed votes, a $750 million prison appropriation bill appeared dead Thursday as lawmakers struggled to secure the necessary votes to clear the Senate. Lawmakers are considering the appropriation to help fund an estimated $825 million capital project to build a new state prison in Franklin County. The 3,000-bed project has been rife with controversy since it was announced last fall, and that battle continued to play out on the Senate floor this week as lawmakers failed to gain enough support for the measure on Monday and Tuesday. Searcy Republican and Senate Bill 354 sponsor Sen. Jonathan Dismang said Thursday he doesn't think failure to approve SB 354 will be detrimental to the project. The Arkansas Board of Corrections already has $75 million it can use to move forward, and lawmakers can revisit funding during the fiscal session next spring, he said. Public library advocates experienced whiplash this week as they celebrated the defeat of one bill and then had to consider the threat of a new one less than 24 hours later. An Arkansas House committee on Wednesday evening rejected Senate Bill 536, a bill that would abolish the State Library and its board. Less than two hours later, Dismang filed Senate Bill 640, legislation that would remove all seven members of the State Library Board and allow Sanders to replace them later this year. CONTACT US SB 640 received initial committee approval Thursday morning and passed the full Senate in the afternoon. The bill was fast-tracked after the Senate suspended rules that generally require at least a day between committee approval and considering a bill on the floor. The bill is scheduled to be heard by a House committee Monday morning. Amendments have garnered new support for a bill that environmental advocates feared would endanger a moratorium on large animal farms in the Buffalo River watershed. Following negotiations with Senate Bill 290's House sponsor, Rep. DeAnn Vaught, R-Horatio, leaders of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy and Environment said they were on board with the legislation. The watershed moratorium, which has been in effect for a decade, has been the source of a battle this session between environmentalists who fought for the initial ban and agricultural interests that said it infringed on private property rights. The amended version of SB 209 cleared a House committee Thursday and will attempt to make its way to the governor's desk next week. Lawmakers filed about 30 new bills by midday Friday, including: House Bill 1996 by Rep. Zach Gramlich, R-Fort Smith, would establish an educational alternative to civil penalties for certain violations related to child labor. House Bill 1999 by Rep. Denise Garner, D-Fayetteville, would require the state's education secretary to provide information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to certain students. Senate Bill 632 by Sen. Fred Love, D-Mabelvale, would require hair relaxers that contain a carcinogen or reproductive toxicant to require a warning label. Senate Bill 641 by Sen. Dave Wallace, R-Leachville, would allow a sheriff to house work-release program participants. Lawmakers return to Little Rock on Monday for the final three days of the session. With the Senate poised to consider as many as 100 bills on Monday alone, legislative leaders said members should be prepared for more long days as they work to conclude their work by Wednesday. Meeting schedules, agendas and livestreams are available on the Arkansas Legislature's website. 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Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas prison funding bill back to Senate after amendment fails in subcommittee
Video: Legislation for $750 million new prison funding filed in Arkansas legislature LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The bill to appropriate $750 million for a 3,000-bed Arkansas prison is in legislative motion after a Thursday committee vote. Senate Bill 354 had not seen much activity since being submitted to the Joint Budget Committee on March 3. Today it left the Joint Budget Committee with a do pass vote, returning it to the Senate floor. Legislature filing mandates $1 billion fund for Arkansas prison construction The previous General Assembly provided $75 million in funding for the prison, which is expected to have a final cost of $825 million. Last week, Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R-Texarkana) filed an amendment to establish a temporary $1 billion fund to cover the building and possible cost overruns. Since that fund would be established, the amendment was to be heard by the Joint Budget Committee's Special Language Subcommittee. In a Thursday morning hearing, Hickey's amendment failed when it did not receive a second, putting the bill into the Joint Budget Committee hearing later that morning. Several Senators and Representatives spoke against the bill in the Joint Budget hearing, citing concerns about the lack of planning and preparation for a project this size, including the cost of associated expenses such as building suitable roads and wastewater treatment for the rural Franklin County site. Arkansas Sheriff's Association head explains support for proposed prison Others expressed concerns about staffing a prison that size, with Rep. Jim Wooten (R-Beebe) predicting annual staff salaries for a facility that size would be at least $40 million a year. Those speaking in favor pointed to the need for more prison beds in Arkansas to meet the current demand. Sen. Bart Hester asked, 'What is the cost of no misdemeanor justice?' and referred to the lack of space in county jails. The bill's lead sponsor and Joint Budget co-chair, Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy), pointed out that the legislation was an appropriation, not a funding bill, and there would be checks and balances along the path to funding the prison. The bill passed on a roll call vote, with 17 Senators and 16 representatives voting in its favor out of the committee's 55 members. It is not on the agenda for the afternoon Senate session. Arkansas senator introduces legislation to counter governor's prison plans The legislature will not be in session on Friday and will be on spring break recess next week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stalled energy bill advances out of Arkansas Senate
Republican Sens. Jimmy Hickey and Missy Irvin listen at their colleagues cast their vote for Senate Bill 307 on March 12, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansas lawmakers on Wednesday approved an amended bill to streamline the process for building electricity-generating plants in the state, one week after rejecting the original proposal. Lead sponsor Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, said Senate Bill 307 aims to mitigate the spike in rates expected as a result of purchasing or generating new energy that will be needed for the state's growing population and the closure of at least two coal-fired plants in the next five years. After the Arkansas Senate rejected SB 307 last Wednesday, senators on Thursday approved a motion by Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, to request recommendations on the bill from the Arkansas Public Service Commission. Hickey told the Advocate the utility commission's analysis 'mostly definitely helped' and resulted in 12 pages of amendments for the 63-page bill. 'It's a very complicated subject, as we keep saying,' he said. 'I know that I put the PSC probably in an untenable position because you've got legislators wanting certain things and the other ones the other way, but again, they're our regulatory agency who's been doing it. So I just felt that they had to weigh in.' Arkansas lawmakers request energy bill recommendations from utility commission Hickey helped craft one 'important' amendment that states if at any time during the construction process the commission finds any costs were not 'prudently incurred,' the PSC shall order those costs to be refunded to customers through bill credits. 'Just thought that was going to be an extra good guardrail or another good tool for them to keep everybody on the up and up,' he said. The process outlined in SB 307 is already being implemented in surrounding states, though Dismang said he's not sure they have 'this extensive amount of parameters in place.' Dismang explained last week that under the current model, interest is accrued during construction and then capitalized, creating 'a significant jump in rates' once the power plant is operational. SB 307 recommends another option that would allow utilities to begin recovering costs incrementally during construction by enabling 'a strategic investment' that he said would result in a 'lower, long-term recovery rate for consumers.' Arkansas could 'pretend like we don't have to do something,' but inaction would leave the state 'at the mercy' of neighboring states that have decided to create new power, Dismang said. 'I want Arkansas to be a leader in every possible way, and this sets us up to be a leader,' he said. 'Rates are going to go up because we have to create new power or we're going to have to buy new power from someone else. I want to be in control of that.' Sen. Mark Johnson, R-Ferndale, who noted he supports developing new sources of generation, said Dismang's amended bill was 'better, but it still ain't good' because it doesn't adequately protect ratepayers. Johnson also said he's not opposed to economic development and it's 'insulting' to imply otherwise about people who question the bill's proposed financing method. 'I believe the economic development aspect of this legislation is effectively a Trojan horse, a vehicle to disguise the weakening of the Public Service Commission's ability to protect consumers and to determine a fair rate of concern,' he said. Proponents of the bill have said it will create jobs by making Arkansas more competitive in attracting industry to the state, such as data centers that may require a lot of energy to operate. Speaking in favor of SB 307, Sen. Dave Wallace, R-Leachville, said the state will soon lose power from coal-powered plants that helped Arkansas weather an ice storm a few years ago, while residents in neighboring states struggled with long-term outages. 'We're here to protect the people of Arkansas. Sometimes we have to make hard choices,' Wallace said. 'If we don't have those power plants, if we don't do something now, two years from now is going to be too late.' SB 307 passed by a vote of 23-9. Republican Sens. Hickey of Texarkana and Ricky Hill of Cabot voted for the bill Wednesday after voting against it last week. Sens. Steve Crowell of Magnolia, Jim Dotson of Bentonville and Reginald Murdock of Marianna also supported SB 307 after not voting last week. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, switched his present vote to one of support. The bill's emergency clause, which would allow the law to go into effect immediately, failed to garner enough support on the first try before reaching the 24-vote threshold on a second vote. SB 307 will next be debated by a House committee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas Public Service Commission submits proposed changes to Arkansas utilities legislation
Video: Amendment may bolster Arkansas legislation restructuring electrical utilities LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Public Service Commission (PSC), which oversees utility rates, has reviewed a proposed change to the law regarding how a utility can charge rates. The review was at the request of an amendment filed Thursday by Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R-Texarkana) requesting the review. The amendment came when the bill failed to pass the Senate by one vote on Wednesday but was placed back on the Senate schedule by a procedure. Bill filed in Arkansas legislature that would re-tool relationship between Public Service Commission and electric utilities A cover letter with the review stated that it was free from outside influence and the PSC general staff did not participate in the review 'due to their status as a party in commission dockets.' PSC chair Doyle Webb signed the letter. The review clarifies how the legislation, Senate Bill 307, would impact ratepayers through charging for new construction and identifies and clarifies areas of the bill that could be problematic for the PSC. It also stated that the PSC does not take positions for or against legislation. New power-producing or transporting utility projects are called 'strategic investments' in the bill's language. The overarching change proposed by the PSC review was tightening the definition of a utility's strategic investment so ratepayers would be less likely to be billed for construction projects that the PSC has not approved. This was an issue for senators who voted against the bill last week. Arkansas electric utility bill fails Senate vote, due to return later Arkansas will lose two coal-fired power plants in 2030 out of its five. SB307's primary sponsor, Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy), has consistently pointed out that ratepayers would face increased costs if those plants were lost. He has also added that construction to replace the closing plants would raise rates. SB307's objective, Dismang said, was that it would allow prices to rise incrementally while new construction was underway, a change from the current model of rates changing, often significantly, only when a project is completed. Opponents pointed out that this could lead to ratepayers covering the cost of projects that could be abandoned by a utility, essentially taking the risk away from utilities and putting it with ratepayers. In its review, the PSC recommended that a utility's request for strategic development brought before it be accompanied by an attestation from the state's economic development director on the economic impact. Amendment may bolster Arkansas legislation restructuring electrical utilities SB307 has no upcoming events scheduled on the legislative calendar. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
