Latest news with #SenateBill354
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas lawmakers consider other funding methods as they abandon sixth prison appropriation vote
Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, asks a question during a meeting of the Arkansas Senate on April 10, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) After five failed votes, a $750 million prison appropriation bill appears dead for the legislative session, and state lawmakers are considering other methods for securing the needed funding to build the 3,000-bed facility in Franklin County. The project has been controversial since it was announced in October, due to concerns over transparency, cost, infrastructure and an available workforce. Supporters of building the new state prison, including Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, have said it's necessary to address overcrowding in county jails. Searcy Republican and Senate Bill 354 sponsor Sen. Jonathan Dismang said Thursday afternoon that he didn't see the point in continuing to vote because his legislation didn't have the 27 votes needed to clear the Arkansas Senate. Bills typically need a simple majority to advance in the Legislature, but appropriation bills require a three-fourths majority, or 27 votes in the 35-member Senate. 'We're getting toward the end of the session, really today would have been the last day I think to try to clear it through the House,' Dismang said. ' I'm sure that we can jump through some procedural maneuvers if something changes over the weekend, but I don't believe that we'll be passing that appropriation.' House Speaker Rep. Brian Evans, R-Cabot, told the Advocate early Thursday evening that he thinks the Senate can get 27 votes next week since some members' questions have been answered. 'I think they're very close to the 27,' he said. 'There might have been an issue that came up this morning where a couple of them just said 'Hey can we get another question or two answered?'… I still feel confident that they'll get those votes on Monday and so the bill will come down here Tuesday, and we're very optimistic that we have the votes here to pass it.' Dismang said he expects 'quite a bit of movement' over the summer on the estimated $825 million project because the Legislature set aside $75 million in 2022 that has already been appropriated to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Following the state's purchase of 815 acres near Charleston last year for nearly $3 million, the corrections board has moved forward with the project by hiring a construction management company and seeking proposals from architectural firms and contractors. The Legislature also set aside another $330 million for the project that hasn't been appropriated yet. State lawmakers have the ability to release some additional funding if needed, but Dismang said he doesn't expect the Legislature will have to take more action until they return for the fiscal session next spring. Even if SB 354 was approved, Dismang said funding was always going to be released in stages, with the governor requesting various amounts by letter. The requests would require a three-fifths majority approval by the Arkansas Legislative Council, he said. The Saline Courier reported that Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, said he anticipated the governor would call a special session to secure the funding, but Dismang said Thursday that's not the case. Prison bill gains some traction in Arkansas Senate, but not enough to advance 'We're not going to waste money on a special session,' he said. 'We had our ability to do something here. A minority of members decided they did not want to, and so this is where we are.' Failing to approve SB 354 will not be detrimental to the project, according to Dismang, who said the experience over the last few weeks was good for the executive branch and the legislative body. 'We have members that had questions, but weren't asking their questions to anyone. We had an executive branch that was not probably reaching out as fully as they should,' he said. 'I think the last two weeks that's improved greatly. You saw that with some movement of votes and probably would have had further movement if we'd called for another vote — just not 27.' Sen. John Payton, R-Wilburn, initially voted against SB 354, but joined 20 of his colleagues in voting for the bill Tuesday after he said the executive branch addressed some of his concerns with the project, such as staffing. Green Forest Republican Sen. Bryan King, an outspoken critic of the project who seemed unlikely to be swayed, said Thursday he was pleased by the decision to halt voting on the appropriation bill. 'I am happy for the citizens of Arkansas and hope the Franklin County mega-prison scam is stopped before it gets past the point of no return,' King said in a text message. 'Arkansas can do better by hiring more public safety officers to reduce crime and address overcrowding by building facilities in a more financially responsible way.' No meetings are scheduled for Friday, but lawmakers will return to the Capitol Monday for the remaining days of the session, which is expected to end Wednesday. Reporter Tess Vrbin contributed to this story. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Prison bill gains some traction in Arkansas Senate, but not enough to advance
Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, listens as Sen. John Payton, R-Wilburn, speaks in favor of SB 354 on the Senate floor on April 8, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) An appropriation for a new 3,000-bed state prison failed to pass the Arkansas Senate for the fifth time on Tuesday, despite gaining support from earlier holdouts. Senate Bill 354 aims to appropriate three-quarters of a billion dollars for the prison. But the $750 million measure has been stuck in the Senate for a week as the legislative session barrels to a projected close on April 16. Sen. John Payton, who previously voted against the measure, joined 20 of his colleagues in supporting SB 354 Tuesday because he said the executive branch addressed some of his concerns, including potential staffing issues. Prison appropriation bill remains stuck in Arkansas Senate Noting the success of a steel mill in rural Mississippi County in attracting roughly 2,000 employees, Payton said state officials have demonstrated their ability to recruit workers from long distances. He also credited Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for construction of a new state crime lab that he said is ahead of schedule and expected to come in under budget. 'I still can't promise you or guarantee you that it will be a success…but I can say that I'm willing to trust and give 'em a chance because they've proven to me that they have done their homework,' Payton said. The Wilburn Republican said he voted present the last two times as he processed the new information he received and ultimately chose to cast an affirmative vote Tuesday because he doesn't want to be the deciding vote. Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Jonesboro Republican who has previously cast votes for, against and present, again cast an affirmative vote for SB 354 Tuesday, bringing the total to 21 votes for the bill. While that's the most support SB 354 has received thus far, an appropriation bill requires a three-fourths majority or 27 votes to advance out of the Senate. The proposal to construct a prison in rural Franklin County has caused controversy for months because local community members said they were blindsided by Sanders' announcement that the state spent about $3 million to purchase 815 acres near Charleston for the prison last fall. Supporters of the project, including Sanders, say the prison is needed to address overcrowding in county jails, which house state inmates because of a shortage of beds in state facilities. Opponents have criticized a lack of transparency and the cost of the project, an estimated $825 million. They've also questioned the feasibility of the construction site and the ability to attract a sufficient workforce. Sen. Bryan King, a Green Forest Republican who has adamantly opposed the prison from the start, on the Senate floor Tuesday argued the state 'embarrassingly' has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country because Arkansas has high crime rates. If crime isn't stopped on the front end, Arkansas will end up 'in a financial death spiral' because the state won't be able to build enough prisons to incarcerate sufficient people to escape it, King said. 'I'd still appreciate a no vote because we are not holistically taking care of the problem,' he said. 'This thing of building prisons and incarceration rates, if we don't take care of the crime rate first, it's like putting out the smoke instead of putting out the fire.' Sen. Breanne Davis, a Russellville Republican who has consistently voted in favor of SB 354, challenged an assertion by King that incarceration should be more of a shared partnership between the state and counties. King has repeatedly said larger counties that contribute to the majority of the state's inmates need to do more. The populations of jails and prisons are different, according to Davis who said the issue with overcrowding is that local law enforcement officials don't have a place to put people they need to arrest. 'I believe that would show that we need a facility to house prisoners so that people that are committing crimes that deserve to be in county jail, which again is different than prison, have a place to be in county jail; otherwise we just have criminals roaming the streets,' she said. 'I've got four kids. I mean I want to have a safe community, and we've got law enforcement officers, but we've got nowhere to put people who are committing crimes. So we're just turning them out, letting them go.' King agreed there's a difference between county jails and prisons, but he still had problems with the Franklin County prison project, including its estimated cost and his concerns that it won't adequately address mental health issues. King was one of nine senators who voted against SB 354 Tuesday, one fewer than Monday. Cabot Republican Sen. Ricky Hill, who has consistently voted against the bill, changed his vote to present Tuesday. SB 354's lead sponsor, Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, told the Advocate Monday he intends to run his bill every day until lawmakers conclude their work on April 16. If the measure fails to gain enough support by the end of the legislative session, Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, last week said he expects the governor to call a special session to secure the funding, according to the Saline Courier. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Prison appropriation bill remains stuck in Arkansas Senate
Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, speaks against Senate Bill 354, the $750 million Franklin County prison appropriation, on the Senate floor on Monday, April 7, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) The Arkansas Senate continued to block a $750 million prison appropriation bill Monday when it voted down the legislation for the fourth time in the last week. Senate Bill 354 would support construction of a 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County, which proponents say is needed to address overcrowding in county jails. Several elected officials and local residents in the western Arkansas county have publicly opposed the estimated $825 million project since Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in October announced the state's purchase of 815 acres near Charleston for the prison for nearly $3 million. The bill's lead sponsor, Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, told the Advocate Monday that he'll keep running SB 354 until it receives the required 27 votes it needs to advance out of the Senate. While most bills require a simple majority, appropriation bills require a three-fourths majority vote. SESSION SNAPSHOT: Arkansas lawmakers settle into longer days as session end draws near Lawmakers have set April 16 as the final day to approve bills during the legislative session. The governor's office, the Arkansas Board of Corrections and Joe Profiri, former corrections secretary and current senior adviser to Sanders, will continue answering lawmakers' questions throughout the remaining days of the session, Dismang said. 'We still have a good group of members, even though, who are voting no, who are saying they just need a couple pieces of additional information,' he said. 'My goal right now is to keep making sure that everyone's aware that there are some questions outstanding and try to get those questions answered.' Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, told guests of a legislative breakfast Friday in Benton that he expects the governor to call a special session to secure the prison funding if SB 354 doesn't pass by next week, The Saline Courier reported. A similar situation happened last year when Sanders called a special session in June as a result of lawmakers' failure to pass an appropriation bill for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission during the 2024 fiscal session. The Arkansas Legislature meets for regular legislative sessions in odd-numbered years and fiscal sessions in even-numbered years. In the interim, the governor may call legislators into special session and set the agenda. Lawmakers may consider legislation outside of the governor's call with a supermajority vote, but that's uncommon. Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, continued to speak against SB 354 on the Senate floor Monday. King, a longtime critic of the prison, again challenged transparency with the project, noting that a social media post by Franklin County Judge Rickey Bowman disputes an assertion that the governor's office has stayed in close contact with local leaders. 'JUST TO BE CLEAR, NO ONE FROM LITTLE ROCK HAS REACHED OUT TO ME!' Bowman wrote. 'I wish they would and open their eyes to the fact that is [sic] is going to cost the taxpayers an ungodly amount of money. It will be the most expensive site to build on.' Arkansans opposed to the project have been critical of state officials not involving local officials in the process. They also have voiced concerns about how difficult it would be to build on the rocky terrain and to access the needed infrastructure to support a 3,000-bed facility. At the Arkansas Board of Corrections' meeting Thursday, representatives with Vanir Construction Management, the company retained to oversee the firm selected to build the prison, discussed building pipelines to bring in drinking water and wastewater from Fort Smith, a city roughly 27 miles west of the construction site. 'That is exactly what we talked about. When you build a facility, you should have already known about this on the front end,' King said. 'This is inconceivable that we should come in here and all of a sudden be trying to figure out where you're going to get water.' King also called for the expansion of the Calico Rock prison on the Senate floor and in a letter addressed to the corrections board signed by the Green Forest Republican and Sen. Gary Stubblefield, a Branch Republican whose family owns land near the proposed prison site. 'Arkansas cannot afford to spend millions more to build a mega prison when a considerably less expensive option is available at Calico Rock,' the letter reads. 'Please do not let [Profiri's] reckless behavior hurt Arkansans. Those millions can be put to better use providing tax relief, educating students, and assisting our elderly population.' Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson proposed expanding the Calico Rock facility by roughly 500 beds using surplus funds, and state lawmakers approved $75 million in reserve funds for that project in December 2022. But the proposal was put on hold when Sanders threw her support behind the Protect Arkansas Act, a 2023 law that, among other things, removes the possibility of parole for the state's most serious offenders. The law makes it more likely that the number of state prisoners will grow. The Legislature set aside $330 million in 2023 to support the governor's prison expansion efforts, but disputes between the executive branch and the corrections board, and among state lawmakers, have delayed the project. Support in the Senate for SB 354 has fluctuated between 18 and 19 affirmative votes. On Monday, 19 senators again voted for the measure while 10 opposed it. Six voted present. Democrats Fred Love, Reginald Murdock and Jamie Scott have consistently voted present on the measure. On Monday they were joined by Republicans Scott Flippo, John Payton and Dan Sullivan. Flippo has voted three times in favor of the bill, while Payton has voted against SB 354 twice and voted present twice. Sullivan has cast votes for, against and present. The Senate will next meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Reporter Tess Vrbin contributed to this report. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chickamauga Nation discuss findings of archeological study, opposing Franklin County prison
CHARLESTON, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — As the controversial proposed prison in Franklin County persists in the state legislature, one native tribe continues to oppose the land it will be built on. On Monday, the Chickamauga Nation held a press conference to announce its findings after conducting its own archeological survey of the site where the proposed prison will be built in Franklin County. Chickamauga Chief Jimmie Kersh says their findings show the existence of stone box graves, arrowheads and other hunting equipment on the proposed site, found by Dr. David Jurney. The Arkansas Department of Corrections (DOC), the group overseeing the construction of the proposed prison, acknowledged that concerns about a possible Native American burial site were raised early in the planning process. The DOC released a statement in March that says it has been 'mindful of these concerns' and has completed preliminary assessments and has found 'no evidence of a burial site to date.' Chickamauga Nation raises concerns over Franklin County prison site The U.S. Department of the Interior does not recognize the Chickamauga as one of 547 federally recognized tribes. However, Chief Kursh, claims the Chickamauga people have rights to the land with a vast history in North America. He is now calling on the community to submit public records requests to force the government to make public its study. The conference was held on the same day that Senate Bill 354 failed to pass for the fourth time. The bill would allocate $750 million to construct the prison. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SESSION SNAPSHOT: Arkansas lawmakers settle into longer days as session end draws near
Sen. Jonathan Dismang (left), R-Searcy, and Sen. Jimmy Hickey (right), R-Texarkana, voted against House Bill 1669 on the Arkansas Senate floor on Monday, March 31. 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) The countdown to the end of the 2025 legislative session is on. Following a weeklong recess, Arkansas lawmakers hit the ground running Monday as they returned to the state Capitol focused on wrapping up their work by April 16. The 11th week of the session saw continued progress on Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' legislative priorities, including immigration. A Senate committee on Monday approved a bill to impose harsher penalties on undocumented immigrants who commit violent crimes. The full Senate sent the bill to a House committee Wednesday. On the other side of the Capitol, the House of Representatives approved legislation to overhaul the state employee pay plan, another Sanders priority. The bill was sent to the governor's desk for her signature. Sanders this week unveiled two new bills aimed at expanding social media protections for children, which was a priority in the 2023 session. Wednesday's announcement came two days after a federal judge declared unconstitutional an Arkansas law requiring age verification for new social media accounts. Beyond the governor's priorities, the subject matter of lawmakers' bills varied widely as they rushed to push their legislation through in the waning days of the session. Proposals included potentially removing an environmental permit moratorium intended to protect the Buffalo River watershed, preventing pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from holding permits to operate drug stores, clarifying state public meetings law, adjusting asset limits for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries and prohibiting youth organizations that promote diversity initiatives from receiving certain state grants. The third time was not the charm for a $750 million prison appropriation bill that was thrice rejected by the Arkansas Senate this week. Senate Bill 354 would support construction of a 3,000-bed Franklin County prison that supporters have said is needed to address overcrowding in county jails. The project has caused controversy since local residents and elected officials said they were blindsided by the governor's announcement of the project in late October. Opponents, including state lawmakers, have fought against the proposal for months. Within the Senate this week, support for SB 354 fluctuated between 19 affirmative votes on Tuesday and Thursday, and 18 on Wednesday. While that's a majority of the 35 senators, appropriation bills require 27 votes to advance out of the Senate. There is no limit to how many times lawmakers can vote on an appropriation bill, but they only have until the end of the session to send bills to the governor for final approval. It's unclear if there's yet a clear path to securing the needed votes by the end of the session, but Corning Republican Sen. Blake Johnson asked his colleagues Wednesday to try and find consensus. 'I appreciate everybody's differences, but please let's try to work together for the safety of Arkansas citizens,' Johnson said. Legislation that sponsors said aim to protect Arkansans' religious freedoms have been popping up on committee agendas in recent weeks. The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday advanced House Bill 1615, which would 'prohibit the government from discriminating against certain individuals and organizations because of their beliefs regarding marriage or what it means to be female or male.' The House on Thursday approved the bill, which will next be considered by a Senate committee. CONTACT US House Bill 1669, which had similar language regarding the 'sincerely held religious beliefs' of parents seeking to foster or adopt children in Arkansas, failed in the Senate Monday. The bill's sponsors, Rep. Mary Bentley of Perryville and Sen. Alan Clark of Lonsdale, said it would protect parents who don't accept LGBTQ+ children's identities from not being allowed to foster or adopt. Searcy Republican Jonathan Dismang, who noted Monday that not all 'sincerely held religious beliefs' are Christian, said HB 1669 would set a 'dangerous precedent' by shielding foster or adoptive parents from adverse government action if their faith-based actions harm children. But the bill received enough support to pass the Senate on Thursday and was sent back to a House committee that will consider an amendment made in the Senate. A bill to abolish the Arkansas State Library and its board advanced out of committee Tuesday before narrowly passing the Senate on Wednesday. Jonesboro Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan has promised to dissolve the board for some time. With Senate Bill 536 he broadened his intention to eliminate the entire State Library after the board last month did not satisfy the conditions he gave them for its survival. One of those requests was to detach from the American Library Association. Sullivan has criticized a section of the ALA's Library Bill of Rights that says access to libraries should not be restricted based on a person's age. Far-right conservatives who object to the public availability of certain content have claimed this proves ALA believes in forcing sexual activity and LGBTQ+ topics onto children. While testifying against SB 536 in committee this week, Clare Graham, library director of the Mid-Arkansas Regional Library System, said the bill's 'one-size-fits-all approach' will stifle creativity and flexibility for local libraries. 'Local libraries are already governed by their local boards that know their communities best,' Graham said. 'This bill takes that away, replacing it with centralized oversight that doesn't understand the unique needs of each town and city.' SB 536 will next be considered by a House committee. Arkansas lawmakers filed about 150 new bills this week. Nearly half were filed Monday as legislators rushed to submit their proposals in what they hope is enough time to make it through the process to become law before their April 16 deadline. Those bills included: Senate Bill 591 by Sen. Clint Penzo, R-Springdale, would prohibit a physician or other person from intentionally performing or attempting to perform an abortion with the knowledge that the pregnant woman is seeking the abortion solely based on race. Arkansas law already bans all abortions except to save the life of the mother. House Bill 1909 by Rep. Wayne Long, R-Bradford, would require state agencies to verify that adults who apply for federal, state or local public benefits are U.S. citizens who reside in Arkansas, except if prohibited by federal law. House Bill 1980 by Rep. Jimmy Gazaway, R-Paragould, would create the Technology and Energy for Sustainable Logistics Act (TESLA), and add electric vehicle charging stations to the definition of critical infrastructure. House Bill 1985 by Rep. Denise Garner, D-Fayetteville, would create the Arkansas Renter Refund Act, and provide a $500 income tax credit for certain renters. Despite the deadline pressure, lawmakers are taking Friday off. When they return to the Capitol early Monday morning, they'll have roughly seven working days to finish their work. Meeting schedules, agendas and livestreams are available on the Arkansas Legislature's website. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
