On the Right Side

The Fiscal Session

2012-01-16T23:16:00.001-06:00

Here are some things to look for as we start the Pre-Fiscal Session Budget Hearings:

From: http://arkansasnews.com/2012/01/15/despite-agenda-add-ons-legislative-leaders-expect-smooth-budget-hearings/

Healthcare Exchanges: Part 1

Another issue likely to draw attention is a $462,000 contract in the state Insurance Department’s proposed budget to plan what the state’s role will be in a federally mandated health insurance exchange.

Healthcare Exchanges: Part 2

The governor in December said he endorsed the state’s involvement in a partnership with the federal government to implement the exchange in the state.

He also said he signed off on an application by the Insurance Department for a $7.6 million federal grant to plan for implementing the program.

AFC

The governor has asked lawmakers to approve $2.7 million in supplemental funding to help offset the commission’s shortfall. About $1.2 million would repay federal government grant money that was inappropriately used by the agency for the ongoing expenses, and about $1.5 million would fund the commission operations through the end of the fiscal year.

Increased Spending

There is an expectation that the Governor's budget will be around $4.7 billion which is an increase of around $155 million from last year's budget. The bulk of the increase will be Medicaid and Public Schools.

Please feel free to send me your thoughts on these and other issues. My email is david.meeks@arkansashouse.org

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day- Take Action!

2012-01-11T08:56:00.000-06:00

Below you will find links to groups who combating Human Trafficking. This is by no means a complete list. I hope you will pick at least one, find out what they are doing and get involved to help end modern day slavery!

Arkansas:

Rush Hour Traffic- http://rushhourtraffic.tv/
P.A.T.H.- http://thepathinitiative.com/

National:

Polaris Project- http://www.polarisproject.org/
Not For Sale- http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/
A21- http://www.thea21campaign.org/who-we-are.php

National Human Trafficking Prevention Day Press Conference

2012-01-09T13:48:00.000-06:00

National Human Trafficking Prevention Day- Press Release

Date: January 11th, 1pm

What: National Human Trafficking Prevention Day Press Conference

Where: Arkansas State Capitol Rotunda, 2nd floor

Who: Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, Senator Rapert, Representative Meeks, Representative Leding, Sheriff Doc Holladay, Partners Against Trafficking Humans (PATH), Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), Not for Sale, Catholic Charities, and Rush Hour Traffic.

Legislators, local groups observe National Human Trafficking Prevention Day, Jan. 11

LITTLE ROCK, AR — National Human Trafficking Awareness Day will be observed with a news conference at 1 p.m., Jan. 11, in the 2nd floor Rotunda area of the State Capitol by Arkansas legislators, representatives of local and national anti-human trafficking groups, law enforcement and others who want to help eradicate the problem of modern day slavery.

Legislators represented include Rep. David Meeks, R-Conway, who says that upon researching the problem he found Arkansas to be “shockingly” one of nine states lagging behind in enacting meaningful anti-human trafficking legislation. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, Senator Rapert, R- Conway, and Representative Leding, D- Fayetteville, will also be in attendance and in support of the fight against sex- trafficking in the state of Arkansas.

Through the educational efforts of such local groups as Partners Against Trafficking Humans (PATH) and Rush Hour Traffic and national groups such as Not For Sale and Truckers Against Trafficking (all of which will be represented at the news conference), Meeks found that young women and girls as young as 9 years old are being brutalized and sold for sex right here in Arkansas.

PATH and its sister groups are not just engaged in educating the public about the problem but in providing respite and healing for trafficking victims with a planned shelter and other facilities.

Unfortunately, says Louise Allison, PATH co-founder, if a human trafficking victim is rescued off the street from her captors, there are no medium- or long-term facilities available.

President Barack Obama has declared January National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and in light of that, legislators, members of local law enforcement, such as Sheriff Doc Holladay and Detective Haskins, and local and national human trafficking groups hope the media and anyone interested will join them at 1 p.m. Jan. 11 to learn more about what has become the second-largest money-making criminal activity in the world and how to stop it.

Human trafficking statistics:

• It’s estimated that there are between 100,000 and 300,000 American children at risk of entering the sex trade each year (Truckers Against Trafficking)

• Victims are hidden in plain sight in the house down the street, at massage parlors, truck stops and rest areas

• The I-40 corridor through Arkansas is a major artery along which trafficking victims are transported from one part of the country to another (Truckers Against Trafficking)

• Numbers are vastly under reported because of victims being arrested for drug, prostitution and other crimes and not reported as a trafficking victims

• Craigslist has been commonly used as a source of trafficking victims

• Between July 1 and Sept. 30 of 2011, alone, there were 16 trafficking-related calls to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center from Arkansas, 5 of those from Little Rock (reported from the Polaris Project)

• Worldwide human trafficking is a $32 billion industry with 27 million modern-day slaves (from Truckers Against Trafficking)

About:

Partners Against Trafficking Humans: Goal is to provide residential treatment, in a safe, caring environment to promote restoration and reintegration for exploited women and children. The goal of PATH is to provide a safe place where the healing can begin in a Christ-like environment

Rush Hour [Traffic] exists to raise human trafficking awareness in Arkansas and beyond. One step at a time, we work together, inviting others with the same passion to join us in our fight. While RH[T] seeks to promote awareness of modern day slavery, we also exist to provide recovery and restoration for victims of trafficking. This includes helping them find shelter, healthcare, counseling, and other various support. Together we can stop this injustice - one life at a time.

The vision Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) started with in 2009 was of educating, equipping, empowering and mobilizing members of the trucking industry to play a critical role in the fight against human trafficking.

Not For Sale AR is a branch of the Not For Sale campaign and works on addressing the issue of human trafficking and modern day slavery in AR as well as all over the U.S. and the world. We know that in order for us to end slavery in OUR lifetime it will take all of us doing our part! With all of us working together we CAN re-abolish slavery!

Contact:

Representative David Meeks: david.meeks@arkansashouse.org

Louise Allison, founder of PATH: la@thepathinitiative.org

Emily Boedeker, founder of Rush Hour: emily@newlifechurch.tv

Dorothy Cox, Truckers Against Trafficking: dorothyc@targetmediapartners.com

Stephanie Jira, Not For Sale: sjira@notforsalecampaign.org

If at First You Don't Succeed: Healthcare Exchanges

2011-12-30T18:34:00.002-06:00

“The governor has said before that he will not act unilaterally against those wishes [applying for a federal grant to set up a healthcare exchange], and he does not plan to change that stance,” Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said."

The above statement was made on back on August. Fast forward to just last week when the Governor says this:

"To that end, this past week, I endorsed Arkansas' involvement in a Federal Exchange Partnership. This partnership will allow us to apply for the federal money that will permit us to meet our legal requirements using as little state funding as possible."

Yes, you read that right. Governor Beebe is now moving forward with implementing as much of Obamacare as he possibly can despite a Supreme Court ruling that could come as early as mid-2012. Here is a link to a news article on it: http://www.5newsonline.com/news/sns-ap-ar--healthoverhaul-arkansas,0,2036597.story

The Federal Exchange Partnership that is mentioned is nothing more then an end-around the legislature. In fact, neither the Governor nor Insurance Commissioner Jay Bradford testified before a legislative committee before pursuing this latest round of grant money.

According to what I have been told, the decision on the grant will be made sometime in early February. This will need to be watched closely as the Fiscal Session starts in February and the money will need to be appropriated.

Arkansans have overwhelmingly rejected Obamacare, yet the Governor continues to try to move forward with it.

I will continue to fight for you. Thank you once again for the opportunity to serve you.

If you any questions or comments, feel free to contact me: david.meeks@arkansashouse.org

Veteran's Day Ceremonies/Festivities

2011-11-08T18:40:00.000-06:00

Posted below are the Veteran's Day Ceremonies/Rallies and other ways our community is honoring our Veterans. If you know of any others please contact me dmeeks72@gmail.com so I can add them to the list.

Ceremonies:

Veteran's Day 11/11/11

Greenbrier High School (Panther Pavilion): 9:30a
If you are a veteran and can make it please RSVP to Kim Austin 501-679-1017 or by email: austink@greenbrierschools.org
Info requested includes: Name of Veteran, Phone Number and/or email address, Address, Branch of Service, Rank, and Number of guests attending the rally (include yourself).

"This event will include performances from our choir and band, the presentation of colors, and an address by a guest speaker. A meal will be provided for veterans and their family members immediately after the ceremony."

University of Central Arkansas- Conway (Football Practice Field behind Estes Stadium): 11:00a
There will be free food and informational vendors specifically geared toward veterans available after the ceremony.

Arkansas Military Veteran's Hall of Fame
Agora Events Center- Conway, AR. Event will be held from 6:00pm until 8:30pm. Tickets are $50.00 each. To purchase tickets, please call 1-888-329-3845

The AMVHOF will be inducting 15 people into the initial class of the Hall of Fame. For more info about this organization please visit there website: http://www.amvhof.org/

Sunday 11/13/11

Bible Baptist Church, 3130 Dave Ward Dr, Conway. 11:00am
Veteran's Appreciation Sunday

Join us during our 11am Service as we honor our Military Members who have served and are currently serving our Country. Allow us to thank you for your service with special music and program, a custom medal, and a delicious fish and chicken lunch all provided free of charge."

Business

Veteran's Day 11/11/11
Ed's Bakery- Oak St, Conway: Starting at 8:15am
Ed's in conjunction with other local businesses will hand out stuff to veterans

Arby's- 414 Harkrider St, Conway: All Day
All active duty and veterans, in uniform or with proof of US Military Service, are invited to enjoy a Free Classic Roast Beef Sandwich.

This information below is taken from the Air Force news website: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123279140
I have not verified if any of the businesses below are participating here in Conway, so please contact them ahead of time to make sure they are.

Restaurants offer military members, vets thank-you meals

11/8/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- A variety of restaurants and fast-food chains are offering free or discounted meals to active-duty, Reserve and retired military members and veterans in thanks for their service this Veterans Day.

Most participating restaurants will require patrons to arrive in uniform or with some form of military identification, officials said. This can be a U.S. Uniform Service card, a current leave and earnings statement, a DD 214 discharge form or American Legion or VFW membership card. In some cases, restaurants will accept a photograph of the service member or veteran in uniform.

Officials encourage military members to call participating restaurants ahead or check their websites to ensure they are participating in the offer, as many are franchises and may have different policies.

Among restaurants offering Veterans Day appreciation meals or specials are:

-- Chili's, which will offer all military veterans, past and present a choice of six meals Nov. 11. The offer is available at stateside restaurants only and does not include beverages and tip, officials said. Proof of military service is required.

-- Golden Corral, which will host its 10th annual Golden Corral Military Appreciation Dinner on Nov. 14 from 6 - 9 p.m. at all stateside Golden Corral restaurants. Veterans, military retirees and currently serving members of the active or reserve components are invited to enjoy a free thank-you dinner, officials said. Over the past 10 years, Golden Corral restaurants have provided over 2.5 million free meals and contributed more than $4.3 million to the Disabled American Veterans organization, they noted.

-- Outback Steakhouse, where active-duty military members and veterans will receive a free serving of bloomin' onions and a non-alcoholic beverage from Nov. 7 to 11. Patrons must be in uniform or show proof of current or past military service, officials said. During the past two years, Outback and its patrons have donated $2 million to Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization that provides support for active-duty troops, wounded warriors and their families, officials reported.

-- Subway, with select locations to offer veterans free six-inch subs Nov. 11. Officials advise calling ahead to see if a particular restaurant franchise is participating.

-- T.G.I. Friday's, where participating restaurants will offer a buy-one, get-one-free special to anyone with a current or old military ID from Nov. 11 to 14.

(Courtesy of the American Forces Press Service)

ISP Filed on Healthcare Mandates

2011-11-02T14:32:00.001-05:00

I have filed an interim study proposal to look at the healthcare mandates here in Arkansas. Here is a link to the copy of the ISP: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/Pages/ISPIRDetail.aspx?ispid=2011-187

According to a 2010 report, the Council for Affordable Health Insurance had Arkansas with 45 different mandates.
You can view a copy of the report here: http://www.cahi.org/cahi_contents/resources/pdf/MandatesintheStates2010.pdf

Of note from the report: "Although most mandates only increase the cost of a policy by
less than 1 percent, 40 such mandates will price many people out of the market. It is the accumulated impact of dozens of mandates, not just one, that makes health insurance unaffordable."

If we are to make health insurance more affordable to the people of Arkansas, this is just one area we need to take a closer look at.

Here to Serve,
David Meeks
email: david.meeks@arkansashouse.org

My Thoughts on the Highway Bond Issue

2011-10-26T17:06:00.000-05:00

On November 8th, the voters in Arkansas will have an opportunity to vote on reauthorizing the Highway Commission to issue GARVEE bonds that will be used to maintain our highways. This is similar to a program that voters approved back in 1999.

At this time I am planning on voting against this proposal and here are the reasons why:

1) Its debt.

Instead of going into debt to pay for our roads, we need to transition to a pay as we go system. This will force us to make some tough decisions, but I believe it will be best for our state in the long run. At the end of this post, I have provided potential solutions that our state should look at.

2) Economic uncertainty.

Because of the current and expected future state of the economy over the next several years, there is a chance that the current 4 cent sales tax and the amount that the Federal Government sends to the state will not be enough to cover the payment of the bond leaving the Arkansas taxpayers to come up with additional funds to repay the bond.

In addition, as far as I am aware there is no cap on the interest rate of the bonds. While the current rate is around 3%, there is no guarantee that they will be this low when the bonds are issued over the next several years. A higher rate will amount to the Arkansas taxpayers paying more in interest.

Please read this article: D.C. Gridlock Imperils Garvees

Garvee bond ratings are at risk from the increasingly unpredictable budget and policy process in Washington, Standard & Poor’s warned in a report released Friday.
The agency said it retained a stable outlook on all of the Garvees it rates. But in its report, it said, “We believe there are several potential risks that if realized alone or in combination, might cause us to reevaluate the ratings on some or all of our Garvee bonds.”

3) Timing

I believe that this is an issue that should be decided at a regularly scheduled election like the primary in May or the General in November of next year. By scheduling a special election in November of this year, there is an additional cost to hold the election.

For those who would like to see an opposite viewpoint, please read Representative Nate Bell's piece on why you should vote for the bond issue:

FACTS ABOUT THE 1999 AND 2011 BOND PROPOSALS from the AHTD 10/24/11

So how do we fix our roads? There are two recommendations I would make as a starting point:

1) Transportation Summit

http://www.dean.net/Summit2011/2011%20Summit%20Review%20-%20Final%20Editing.pdf (9.6MB Download- Not recommended on slower connections)

From the summit: Commissioner Jim Simpson, New Jersey DOT, and Secretary Sean

Connaughton, Virginia DOT, shared what is happening in their respective

states’ transportation systems during The Voice of Our State DOT Directors

Special General Session. They addressed bold initiatives their states are

taking to find innovative methods of improving, maintaining, and maximizing transportation systems by doing more with less in the best interest of the state.

I was able to listen in on this conversation and will be looking at some of the innovative ways these two states are using to tackle there transportation needs.

2) Summary of Recommendations, Murphy AHTD Report:

http://arkansaspolicyfoundation.org/policy/summary_of_recommendations.html

1. Re-direct more existing resources (on a fast-track basis) to Arkansas' Interstates and restore them to first class condition.

2. Redirect a greater portion of ED funds to upgrading major arteries and interstates.

3. Encourage public policy at the Federal level to accomplish the following:

Require states to certify that they have adequate funds available to maintain a new road or highway over its useful life before allowing federal highway funds to be spent on its Construction.
Require states to certify that at least 90% of their existing urban and suburban highways are in good condition before allowing them to undertake new construction.
Support a joint state/federal effort, through Congress, toward the establishment of a national goal for improving the condition of our interstate Highway system, and provide incentives to states to meet these goals.

4. Repeal or significantly amend Amendment 42 (Mack-Blackwell). Reintegrate AHTD into the executive branch; give it cabinet level status as an essential government service ... a status it surely warrants.

5. Have the Director of AHTD report to the Governor and serve at the Governor's pleasure. Subject the hiring of the Director to the Highway Commission's consent, plus Senate confirmation.

6. Restructure the Highway Commission to provide for eight members, geographically chosen and serving four year terms appointed by the Governor. No more than five members may be from the same political party.

(Another option worthy of discussion is providing for Commissioners to be elected. Either way--bi-partisan composition should be mandatory).

7. Concentrate highway priorities and resource allocations where the greatest needs and economic development potential occurs. To better affect this, move to a planning and resource system model aimed at greater objectivity in determination of priorities and distribution of resources.

Sub-recommendations (#7)

AHTD should develop and use a dynamic computer model to assure a wholly objective determination of construction and maintenance priorities for the state. The model should embody a uniform system for allocation of projected costs to planned construction and maintenance of highways, roads and bridges and fully integrate with a system of performance-based budgeting and activities-based-cost accounting.
A public report on priorities should be shared regularly in periodicals and the media, as well as be made available on the internet (would include progress on construction underway).
The design of the model should be contracted out and overseen by both a reliable independent accounting firm and the state's audit committee (should one be put in place as recommended in other Murphy Reports)
The Governor should task an accountability and performance advisory group with conducting a nationwide search to retain the finest team of "cost conscience" transportation experts in the country to design the model planning and resource system for Arkansas. They should also design (outside of AHTD) the base inputs and outputs comprising the system. The goal should be to make this a "best practices" model that other states would want to consider using.

8. The planning, design, and cost-estimating of Arkansas transportation needs should not be predominantly an "in-house" function at AHTD. Instead, much of it should be contracted out on the basis of performance as well as cost-saving incentives built into contracts.

9. As a matter of control and oversight, the Governor, through an independent audit committee (such a body has been recommended in another Murphy study), should also contract for the periodic independent review by an independent accounting firm with the requisite expertise. It would randomly review selected highway system job cost estimates, design specs, and jobs in progress.

10. AHTD should demonstrate to the public a "good faith effort" to substantially reduce operating costs.

Cost Saving Recommendations, AHTD

1. Restore control of 5000 miles currently in the state's 16,288 mile system to county or municipal government jurisdictions for maintenance and upkeep.

Possible savings or efficiencies: $13-$16 million annually.

2. Eliminate 5 of the 10 existing AHTD District Offices and 54 of 82 field offices across the state.

Possible savings or efficiencies: $5 million (An additional $4 million in maintenance expenditures and about $1 million in administrative and overhead costs).

3. Integrate the existing Arkansas Highway Police organization, currently an integral division of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, into the Arkansas' State Police organization.

Possible savings or efficiencies: $2.5 million

4. Offload a number of roadside parks, and explore opportunities under TEA 21 to privatize existing interstate rest areas.

Possible savings or efficiencies: (including those acted already): $1.3 million per year plus an estimated one time savings of $11.7 million in rehab costs.

*The Murphy Commission would also have recommended not spending $19 million for roadside park electronic surveillance, which becomes unnecessary in light of 12 parks to be closed, as decided by AHTD.

5. Scale back AHTD's workforce by 5%.

Possible savings or efficiencies: $8.8 million

6. Explore the efficacy of outsourcing more in-house programs at AHTD:

Possible savings or efficiencies: $1.8 million

7. Integrate AHTD's stand-alone retirement system into the existing State Public Employees Retirement system.

Possible savings or efficiencies: $2.1 million

8. Discontinue redundant AHTD auditing of motor fuel suppliers. (Department of Finance and Administration audits them)

Possible savings or efficiencies: $150,000 to $200,000

9. Exempt AHTD (and other state agencies as well) from paying state and local sales taxes.

Possible savings or efficiencies: $4.3 million

10. Miscellaneous Recommendations:

Sell AHTD 'twin engine aircraft:

Projected Savings: $160,000 per year and $2.6 million from the sale of the aircraft.

Reduce by 400 the number of state-owned vehicles assigned to department employees.

Projected Savings: $1 million per year

End funding to the Good Roads Council, $20,000 per year in savings

Summary of total savings:

Annual Savings:

$39,160,000 to $42,160,000

One-time Savings:

$14,300,000

Total Projected Savings:

$53,460,000 to $56,460,000

As always, I am open to other ideas and solutions to any of the other issues we have here in Arkansas. Feel free to send me an email: david.meeks@arkansashouse.org

Here to Serve,

David Meeks

My Letter to Governor Beebe on Healthcare Exchanges in Arkansas

2011-09-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

As you may already know, Commissioner Jay Bradford has asked State Legislators to contact Governor Beebe and ask them to support additional funding to continue planning the Healthcare Exchanges under Obamacare.

Below you will find the email I sent to Governor Beebe in opposition to additional funding. I ask my colleagues to do the same.

Dear Governor Beebe,

I am writing to you in opposition of moving forward with anyadditional spending as it relates to implementation of the Healthcare InsuranceExchange.

As you are aware, there are still lawsuits challenging thePPACA working there way to the Supreme Court. Although Arkansas has chosen not to participate in theselawsuits, we do not wish to undermine them through aggressive policies thatimplement key components of the PPACA.

More importantly, as I have talked to people in my district,one common message I have heard is that they are against implementation of thePPACA here in Arkansas to include the HIE.

Themany unanswered questions regarding HIE, as well as the overall future of thePPACA and the timelines and policies it imposes compels me to believe that notspending any additional taxpayer money on the HIE is the wisest course of actionat this time.

Thank you for your consideration onthis issue.

Respectfully submitted,

David Meeks

State Representative- District 46

Promises Made, Promises Kept

2011-08-29T14:38:00.000-05:00

One of the most important, if not most important thing a person can and should do is keep promises they have made. In a day and age when people are disgruntled at those they have elected because of those officials not keeping their campaign promises, I looked back at the promises I made. These promises are posted were posted on my previous website found here: http://whoisdavidmeeks.com/issues.html

Below is just a summary of the promises I made and kept. As we go along, I will post more on my record. If you have any questions about anything in particular, feel free to contact me: dmeeks72@gmail.com

Create Jobs by Cutting Taxes

□ Co-sponsored the Capital Gains Tax Reduction, the Grocery Tax Cut, and the Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Also supported the reduction in the Used Car Sales Tax.

□ Fought against an increase in the severance tax which threatened to cost jobs in the natural gas industry.

□ Voted against every tax or fee increase.

Curb Spending and the Growth in Government

□ Voted against the state budget, which increased state spending by over $80 million.

□ Supported the Online Checkbook Bill, which will bring greater transparency to state spending.

Protecting State’s Rights

□ Sponsored HB1053- Healthcare Freedom Act (To protect Arkansans from being forced to purchase health insurance)

□ Co-Sponsored HCR1010- Claiming State’s Rights Under the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

Family/Life

□ Co-sponsored SB113, An Act To Prohibit Health Insurance Exchange Policies From Offering Coverage For Abortions Except Thru a Separate Rider.

Gun Rights

□ Supported several Pro-Gun bills such as the Arkansas Firearms Freedom Act.

Healthcare Exchanges Dead in Arkansas? Nope...

2011-08-17T15:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I read a blog post written by Jason Tolbert which you can review here:

http://talkbusiness.net/article/ARKANSAS-AVOIDS-FEDERAL-GRANT-FOR-HEALTH-CARE-EXCHANGES/2320/

In the article he quotes Governor Beebe's spokesman Matt DeCample as saying:

“As far as any other federal grants to help the state set up their own health-insurance exchanges, the Legislature made it clear that they wanted the federal government and not the state government to control the establishment of our health-care exchange. The governor has said before that he will not act unilaterally against those wishes, and he does not plan to change that stance,”

I found this statement quite interesting as just last week at the Healthcare exchange meeting I attended the steering committee was still moving full steam ahead on implementing the exchanges to include requesting additional grant money.

So I sent an email to Cynthia Crone, who is leading the effort to implement the healthcare exhanges asking her:

What grants were turned down and/or sent back?
Will the planning meetings that we have been having continue as scheduled?
Are there any other plans to request any grants in the future?

Her reply:

We did NOT send back any money We are continuing our planning. The workgroup meetings will continue as scheduled. We are now getting the results from our background research efforts. Four of our workgroups have met this week--two yesterday and two today.

We do plan to apply for Level One Establishment funding in September--this is the next funding opportunity for States that have made progress with their initial planning grant--which we have. More than half the states now have exchange authority or are otherwise planning their exchange. Sixteen states have now received the Level One grants that we plan to apply for in September. Please don't hesitate to let me know of additional questions/concerns.

So based on this reply nothing has really changed. The planning on the exchange will continue and the grants for planning will still be requested.

Governor Beebe is already trying to frame the debate. Look for a battle during the fiscal session over whether we will give the insurance department permission to start implementation of the healthcare exchange at the state level. This, of course, all hinges on if the Supreme Court decides the constitutionality of the law by then.

The Effects of Efairness on Arkansas

2011-07-12T22:55:00.001-05:00

I posted a couple of months back on how I thought that SB738, the efairness bill aka the Amazon Tax, would hurt the average Arkansan. You can review that post here: http://davidmeeks.blogspot.com/2011/04/e-fairness-is-killing-arkansas-business.html

As expected, dozens of online affiliate programs have been canceled as a result of the law. The real question is how many Arkansans will this effect and what is the cost?

I recently contacted the Performance Marketing Association to get what information they had on Arkansas. This is the reply I received:

Representative Meeks,

Great speaking with you today. Here are the stats on Arkansas affiliates:
There are 2,000 affiliate marketers in Arkansas (or there were before the law passed).
Affiliates, by the way, are simply website publishers who earn revenue from running ads on their sites.
They earned $157 million in 2010, and paid $11 million in state income tax.
By our estimates, affiliates lost 25-35% of their income when this law passed in Arkansas. Losing 1/4 or 1/3 of an income is a devastating event for a person or a business.

By doing the math, you come out that each affiliate earned on average $78,500. This seemed a little high so I wrote back asking if I had calculated something wrong. This is the response I received:

There is a tremendous range of income levels by affiliates. They can be part time, or they can be millionaires, or they can be a company with employees. We estimate that 25%
are full time (quite a few in the 6-7 figure income level) and 5% have four or more employees. We also believe about 90% of that revenue comes from about 10% of the population, sort of an extreme Pareto principal. So that would skew the individual income average up a bit.

I have filed Interim Study Proposal 2011-177 to study more in detail the effects that this law will have. You can view the ISP here:

http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/Pages/ISPIRDetail.aspx?ispid=2011-177

For more on the Amazon Tax please check out this post on the Arkansas Project:

http://www.thearkansasproject.com/more-on-amazon-sales-tax-its-not-just-amazon/

So at this point based on the data, the Amazon Tax bill will cost Arkansas jobs, approximately 11 million dollars in state revenue, and most online retailers will still NOT have to collect ANY state sales tax.

Ways to Help Vilonia: Thanks!

2011-04-26T13:25:00.033-05:00

Thanks to the many folks who stepped up to help with the Vilonia Recovery. You gave of your time, money, and materials to help those people in need.

E-Fairness is killing Arkansas Business...

2011-04-10T23:02:00.006-05:00

Recently the legislature passed SB738, the "E-fairness" bill. This bill would require "Internet retailers to collect sales tax if they accept referrals from affiliate web sites and do more than $10,000 a year in sales in Arkansas."

To get an idea of what an affiliate program is here is a link to Overstocks Affiliate program:

http://www.overstock.com/20789/static.html

Basically what the affiliate program does is allow everyday hard-working Arkansans to make a few extra dollars or in some cases a living by putting a link or a banner on their website. Every time someone clicks on that link/banner and then buys a product, the person gets a commission from it.

Here is a letter I received from one of my constituents:

To: Meeks, David
Subject: Act 1001 has already negatively affected my business

Dear Mr. Meeks,

First, I want to thank you for voting against SB738 regarding the sales tax
and online merchants.
I am an affiliate marketer and I made my concerns known when the bill was
still in the House committee (taxation).

The bill passed and I was immediately terminated by the online merchants who
follow this silly tax nexus bill around the country.

Every few hours I get another termination letter regretfully informing me
that I can no longer be a part of their advertising program because I live
in Arkansas. Each letter says that if I can demonstrate that I have moved
my business out of the state of Arkansas before the effective date of the
bill, I can reapply.

Here's a partial list - I say partial because I figure there are a few more
in my mailbox by now.

Overstock - I made most of my income last year from this merchant
Amazon
Scrubs and Beyond - this relationship was the mainstay of 3 of my web sites.
CSN stores - more than 200 stores networked together - I just lost all of
them
ThinkGeek
Nurses Station - another important one to my business
Dr. Leonard's / Carol Wright mail order catalogs.

There are dozens of others I expect because they have terminated ther web
site link affiliates in every other state that passed these laws.

Is there any chance of repeal when your fellow representatives see that it
isn't going to add to the tax revenues and is hurting Arkansas businesses?

I am already trying to figure out where I should relocate.

So the effect this law is having is actually taking money out of the pockets of hard-working Arkansans and as is the case of the person above, it is causing them to move their business out of Arkansas.

And here is the kicker...From the way I understand the law to be written, if the person above moves out of the state and I as an Arkansan order from that person's site, I pay no state sales tax on the item.

I say let's repeal this bad law, and take a different approach. Let's give those that have a physical store here a break via the corporate income tax or find some way to do away with them having to charge state sales tax on items they ship directly to the customer on items purchased via the internet.

UPDATE:

Here is a good talking points bulletin from Overstock about the effects of this law: http://www.performancemarketingassociation.com/overstock/

Have a similar story? Please feel free to send me an email at david.meeks@arkansashouse.org

Week in Review at the Capitol- April 1st

2011-04-04T23:54:00.005-05:00

The legislative session is like a roller coaster, lots of ups and downs, twists and turns, and just when you think you’d rather be gliding along on a merry-go-round, you hop on for another ride.

The final week of the 88^th General Assembly took House members on a fast and furious flight through a thunderstorm of debate on the federal healthcare law, state-owned vehicles, congressional redistricting and even monkeys.

To get the coaster rolling, a bill requiring out-of-state online retailers to collect sales tax from Arkansas buyers passed the House and will soon be signed into law. I opposed this measure because it amounts to taking more money out of the pockets of hard-working Arkansans.

The Legislature is not your ordinary rodeo. Midweek, House members wrangled over a $72.6 million state Insurance Department appropriation bill which included $1 million in funding for the federal healthcare overhaul. Concerned about tying the federal healthcare law to a bill that funds an essential state agency, House Republicans made several attempts to remove the $1 million from the budget bill.

Meanwhile, legislation to establish federally mandated insurance exchanges necessary to the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was en route to the House floor. As a result, a deadlock on passing the Insurance Department appropriation surfaced, with a majority refusing to strip the budget bill of $1 million in federal healthcare funding. Fortunately, House members lassoed a compromise on Thursday, agreeing to pull down the bill to implement the insurance exchanges and send the legislation to interim study. Consequently, the Insurance Department appropriation garnered the 75 votes needed to pass the House.

I believe the compromise helps ensure a slow and deliberate process for examining a federal law that will drastically alter our healthcare system. We now have a year to study the impact of the federal healthcare law, giving legislators sufficient time to act responsibly in the upcoming fiscal or general session. Until the Supreme Court rules on the law’s constitutionality or Congress acts, our state should not spend money implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

A congressional redistricting gerrymander slithered its way out of the Arkansas House, despite overwhelming opposition from concerned citizens, Democrats and Republicans alike. The “Pig Trail Gerrymander” or “Fayetteville Finger,” does not respect our state’s regional communities of interest and will devastate the continuity of Northwest and Southern Arkansas. I opposed this partisan power grab by the State Democratic Party and hope our colleagues in the Senate will take a principled stand for the people of Arkansas, reject this unfair and illogical proposal and look at reasonable alternatives.

Members took up some monkey business on Thursday when a bill to restrict Arkansans from owning primates failed in the House Public Health Committee. Proponents say citizens have a right to own a monkey, and noted that some individuals use primates as service animals. As a result, the bill was pulled from consideration and sent to interim study.

The personal use of state-owned vehicles by elected officials and state employees dominated newspaper headlines and coffee shop talk last year. In an effort to assure taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely, the House passed a bill to allow state agencies to furnish state vehicles with GPS devices to collect data for tracking purposes.

A $4.6 billion balanced budget for the 2012 fiscal year cleared the full House this week. The budget bill, known as the Revenue Stabilization Act, deals specifically with general revenue and prioritizes spending for public schools and prisons. I voted against this budget because it increases state spending too much.

We also approved a General Improvement Fund bill that sets aside surplus funds for special projects. The Governor controls $40 million, while the House and Senate each control $5 million. If you can recall, last month House members voted to use their share of the surplus for statewide projects, rather than funding lawmakers’ pet projects.

Over the course of the session and under the shining dome of Capitol Hill, we worked vigorously to cut your taxes, increase government transparency, hold the line on spending and move our state forward economically. As of Thursday, 903 out of 2,234 House and Senate bills had been signed into law.

The 88th General Assembly held the shortest session in two decades. However, because congressional redistricting is not complete, the House and Senate will reconvene on Monday to complete the process. Members will still return for a “sine die” on April 27, which is the final adjournment of the legislative session.

While we have recessed until next year’s fiscal session, I will continue my work to serve as your voice in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Please contact me with any issues, questions or concerns you may have. My email is david.meeks@arkansashouse.org

Funding Obamacare and the Department of Insurance

2011-03-30T22:54:00.005-05:00

Here are Facts on the Insurance Department Budget:

It contains 1 million dollars to start implementation of the Federal Healthcare Exchange (aka Obamacare)

While the budget was in the Joint Budget committee, Senator Jason Rapert tried to have the million dollars stripped out and when that didn't happen tried to put an amendment in so it couldn't be spent. The amendment was voted down.

We have twice made motions on the House floor so that the money could be stripped out. We were blocked both times by the Democrats.

HB2138, the bill that would give the power to actually implement does contain a clause that would keep money from being spent until either Supreme Court rules it constitutional OR 11/15/11.

HOWEVER there is this clause at the end:

(c) Nothing in subsection (b) shall be construed to limit or prevent the commissioner from either spending any portion of the federal grant monies already procured by the State Insurance Department, or attempting to procure additional federal grants prior to the dates specified in subsection (b).

This is there way of being able to start spending money to implement Obamacare on JULY 1st, 2011 or even sooner.

None of us want the Department to go unfunded, but unfortunately it contains taxpayer money that would implement the healthcare bill that so many Arkansans oppose. The Democrats continue to adamantly oppose our efforts to have it taken out.

I am disappointed that Governor Beebe and House Democrats have taken this course of action and think implementing Obamacare is more important then funding the Department of Insurance.

As long as the money is still in there, I will continue to vote against it and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Week in Review at the Capitol- March 25th

2011-03-26T13:11:00.005-05:00

Christopher Columbus would have found it difficult to navigate a proposed congressional redistricting map that forcefully sailed its way through the House State Agencies Committee this week. Dubbed the “Pig Trail Gerrymander” for its suspicious meandering, creative carvings and raw partisanship, the redistricting proposal ruffled plenty of feathers during week eleven of the 88th General Assembly.

Entering the fourth quarter of the session meant two-a-days for lawmakers, with the House convening twice a day and legislative committees holding multiple daily meetings. Cruising full speed ahead, members passed a bill Monday to decrease voter fraud and ensure fair elections. The measure requires Arkansans to present a voter ID card when casting a ballot at the polls, and would allow county clerks to issue identification cards to individuals without driver’s licenses. House Bill 1797 is currently en route to the Senate for consideration.

Arkansas owes $330 million in unemployment benefits to the federal government. In order to responsibly address this debt, we passed a bill to place a cap on unemployment benefits and cut the benefit period by a week. The measure could potentially save our state $50 to $75 million annually, thus shoring up money to begin balancing our unemployment trust fund.

Midweek, the marble halls of Capitol Hill echoed with concerns of over four-hundred Arkansans who gathered to protest several bills threatening the livelihood of our state’s natural gas industry. The five measures would have imposed burdensome regulations on an industry that provides jobs for Arkansans and revenue for our state. After mounting opposition from conservative lawmakers like myself and hundreds of citizens, one bill failed to pass the House Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee, while the remaining four were successfully removed from consideration and sent to interim study.

Gerrymandering is the art of manipulating geographical boundaries to achieve a political advantage for a particular party. Every decade the Arkansas Legislature is charged with redrawing the boundaries of our state’s four congressional districts using U.S. Census data. This week, the State Democratic Party endorsed a proposed congressional redistricting map that unfairly gerrymanders Arkansas’ four congressional districts.

Conservative legislators believe the proposed "Pig Trail Gerrymander" or "Fayetteville Finger" map ignores the traditional communities of interest in Arkansas and only exists for raw partisan purposes. Most notably it puts the northwest city of Fayetteville into the fourth congressional district, which currently encompasses the southern region of our state. Arkansas has four defined regions, the Ozarks, Northeast Delta, Central Arkansas and Southern Timberlands. The full House is expected to vote on the “Pig Trail Gerrymander” early next week, and I intend to fight this partisan power grab to protect the people of Arkansas. You can view the map at www.arkansasgop.org.

The full House passed a resolution this week that would refer to Arkansas voters a constitutional amendment creating a half-cent temporary sales tax increase to fund construction of a four-lane highway system. I opposed this resolution because the taxes in Arkansas are already too high. It is time we look at where our state money is currently going and find ways to fund our roads from existing funds. This proposal is one of several constitutional amendments being considered by the Legislature. The General Assembly has the authority to refer up to three measures to the people in the 2012 general election.

A bill to implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in Arkansas failed in the House Insurance and Commerce Committee Friday, falling short of eleven votes needed to pass. House Bill 2138 would have established insurance exchanges necessary to the implementation of the healthcare law. More than half the states, 28 and counting, are challenging the law in court on the grounds it violates the constitutional rights of their citizens. Until we know how the Supreme Court will rule on the federal healthcare law, we do not need to spend more money implementing the law in Arkansas.

House members also approved a bill that would allow public schools to adopt curriculum standards to teach the Bible for academic significance. The measure, which passed our chamber with a vote of 71-16, now goes to the Senate for consideration.

I also had the honor of closing out the week in the House by banging the final gavel as we adjourned. You can view that clip here: http://arkansas-house.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=539&meta_id=23192

What to watch for:

Despite opposition from an overwhelming majority of Arkansans, the Democrats are intent on implementing Obamacare here in Arkansas. On Monday, expect HB2138 and SB880, which would allow the job killing law to be implemented here to be brought back up in there respective committees.

Two pro-life Senate bills are headed to the Arkansas House for consideration. As a pro-life conservative, I intend to support these vital pieces of legislation.

A battle is brewing over congressional redistricting. Stay tuned for the finishing results.

The final significant piece of legislation lawmakers will approve before the session’s end is the budget bill, also known as the Revenue Stabilization Act. Because we held the line on spending to reduce taxes for Arkansans, the final balanced budget will be much smaller than originally proposed.

Since January 10, House members have tackled hundreds of critical pieces of legislation, and with just days to go until our scheduled April 1 recess, I will continue my fight to protect your values and move our state forward.

As your Representative, I am honored to serve you in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Please contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. My email is david.meeks@arkansashouse.org

I also encourage you to visit www.arkansashouse.org where you can view live stream committee meetings and proceedings happening on the House floor from anywhere in the state.

Week in Review at the Capitol- March 18th

2011-03-19T13:25:00.005-05:00

Sorry, I didn't post about the week of March 11th. Here is a very good post about what happened that week from Laurie Masterson: http://mastersonlog.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-picked-wrong-week.html

Now onto the week ending March 18th...

After weeks of dancing between an assortment of proposed tax cuts, House and Senate members came together like a good old fashioned do-si-do, announcing a deal to cut $35 million in taxes for Arkansans. From striking a deal on tax cuts to passing prison reform legislation, lawmakers did plenty of heavy lifting during week ten of the legislative session.

Earmarks didn’t stand a chance in the Arkansas House when members kicked off an eventful week, voting to reject appropriation bills that would have funded local pet projects for lawmakers. Rather than continuing an irresponsible state earmark practice, we opted to use this money from the General Improvement Fund to enhance the state overall.

A measure to toughen laws on sex offenders was passed by the full House on Monday. If approved by the Senate, the bill will prevent Level 3 or Level 4 sex offenders from working in organizations where children sixteen and under and present, such as daycares.

A bill to increase the severance tax on the natural gas industry was withdrawn this week after facing a swarm of opposition from concerned citizens and legislators. The tax increase would have killed jobs and crippled one of Arkansas’ most valuable industries.

In an effort to reduce escalating prison costs and curb inmate overpopulation, on Wednesday the House passed a measure to initiate positive reform in our state prison system. When signed into law, the bill will lessen sentencing for some non-violent offenses, expand alternative sentencing programs and potentially save the state $875 million over the next decade. Although we took a step in the right direction, our work as lawmakers to improve our state prison system is far from over.

If you want less of something, tax it. Unfortunately for Arkansans, midweek Democrat Senators on the Revenue and Tax Committee voted to block House Bill 1002, the Capital Gains Reduction Act, from reaching the full Senate floor for consideration. The bill, which passed the House with bi-partisan support, would have exempted new investments made in Arkansas after July 1, 2011 from the 4.9 percent capital gains tax. Arkansas’ high capital gains tax is hindering entrepreneurial spirit from materializing in the state. Reducing the capital gains tax would have unleashed Arkansas potential to become an engine for job creation and a magnet for business development.

Over the course of the legislative session, ten tax cuts have been proposed by House and Senate members. After mounting pressure from conservative lawmakers to hold the line on state spending and provide tax relief to Arkansans, six tax cuts totaling $35 million were agreed upon Thursday by both chambers and the Governor. The variety of tax cuts, three from the House and three from the Senate, include, a back to school sales tax holiday, single parent tax cut, an increased tax credit for ecotourism, tax cuts on used cars and manufacturers’ utilities, and a half-cent reduction in the grocery tax. By reducing the $109 million spending increase in Governor Beebe’s proposed 2012 budget, House and Senate members were able to decrease revenue flowing into state coffers to cut taxes and protect the pocketbooks of Arkansans.

Beginning July 2012, natural state citizens will be given an “online checkbook” to track state spending and monitor how your tax dollars are being spent. The measure, advocated by Lt. Governor Mark Darr, was signed into law Thursday and will undoubtedly enhance transparency in government and encourage public input as to how our state spends your money.

What to watch for:

It looks like this is finally the week the Democrats will try to push thru bills that will allow Obamacare to be implemented here in Arkansas. Late on Friday, Representative Hyde-(D) amended HB2138 to include language that will allow the state to implement the unpopular and job-killing Obamacare. You can view the language of the amendment here: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/Amendments/HB2138-H1.pdf

State Senator Johnny Key released the first of many congressional redistricting proposals this week. Keep in mind, the Legislature is charged with redrawing Arkansas’ four congressional district using 2010 Census data. Expect to see additional bills surface in the remaining days of the session.

The state of Arkansas currently owes the federal government an estimated $330 million in unemployment benefits. Arkansas is one of thirty states to borrow federal money to compensate for the number of individuals collecting unemployment benefits. Two Senate bills addressing this debt are currently en route to the Arkansas House.

With only three weeks left before the House is scheduled to recess, I will continue to work tirelessly to represent your views and values for a better, more competitive Arkansas. From Capitol Hill to our community, my top priories have always been to responsibly cut taxes for all Arkansans, promote job creation, protect Arkansas families and move our state forward.

As your Representative, I am honored to serve you in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Please contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. My email is david.meeks@arkansashouse.org

I also encourage you to visit www.arkansashouse.org where you can view live-stream committee meetings and proceedings happening on the House floor from anywhere in the state.

Spending, Tax Cuts, and the Future

2011-03-06T14:50:00.011-06:00

“The type of people that ran for office this year didn’t show up to learn the system, they showed up to change it...” Rep John Burris

Some facts about the Arkansas Budget:

In 2000, the budget was around 1 billion dollars. The proposed budget for the next fiscal year is 4.5 billion. In that same time frame, Arkansas is ranked as the 5th fastest growing state government.

One of my campaign promises I made to the people of my district is to curb the growth of government. That is one of the reasons I have voted against appropriation bills that include any pay raise or cost of living allowance.

Let me be clear: At this time, I do not want to defund any program or make any cuts. My votes against the appropriations have been because of the increases.

The appropriation bills give the agency the authority to spend that amount if the money is there. To me, one of the best ways to control the growth of government is control the amount you give it the authority to spend. Government will normally find a way to spend the money you give it.

It is important we hold the line on spending this year because in the coming years we will have to deal with tens of millions in increases from Medicaid spending, and the almost $400 million we owe the unemployment trust fund. To see how deep Arkansas is in debt here is the debt clock:

http://www.usdebtclock.org/state-debt-clocks/state-of-arkansas-debt-clock.html

As for tax cuts, this week HB1002, the Capital Gains Tax Cut bill will go before the Senate Tax and Revenue Committee on Wednesday. Here are some links that explain why we need to pass this bill:

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aID=125919.54928.138043&k=David+sanders

http://epaper.arkansasonline.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib%3AArticleToMailGifMSIE&Type=text%2Fhtml&Path=ArDemocrat%2F2011%2F03%2F01&ID=Ar01501&Locale&ChunkNum=0

http://arkansasnews.com/2011/03/06/garner’s-capital-gains-cut-swings-for-the-fences-–-sort-of/

The Capital Gains Tax Cut will make us more competitive with the states around us and is the most likely proposal to create jobs.

It is important we make Arkansas a more business friendly state and passing HB1002 will do just that.

Week in Review at the State Capitol- March 4th

2011-03-05T23:40:00.003-06:00

A political earthquake mimicked tremors felt across the natural state this week as legislators in the Arkansas House shook up the marble halls of Capitol Hill. From debate on fluoride in drinking water to lawmakers giving the full court press on spending increases, week eight of the legislative session was bursting with seismic activity.

Appropriation bills for various state agencies were on the table Tuesday and Wednesday, but concerns quickly arouse when House members learned these funding bills included spending increases. An appropriation bill grants a state agency authority to spend money. Under the state constitution, appropriation bills must acquire at least 75 votes in the 100-member House to pass. Even as one appropriation for the state crime lab passed, conservative lawmakers argued that in order to stop the growth of government, we must act with fiscal responsibility when appropriating money that affects our state budget.

A bill requiring Arkansas flags purchased by state government to be manufactured in the United States rather than overseas passed the Arkansas House on Tuesday. The Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs will consider this patriotic measure next week.

The full House passed a bill on Wednesday that would grant parents the right to purchase child-only health insurance policies. House Bill 1428 would create policies for families of children with conditions that prevent insurance companies from providing coverage. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

While we voted 90-3 last week in favor of House Bill 1369, which creates a sales tax holiday on back-to-school items, Wednesday the Senate Revenue and Tax Committee failed to garner five votes needed to pass the measure out of the eight-member committee and onto the Senate floor. With Republican support, it’s unfortunate our colleagues across the aisle declined an opportunity to provide relief to working families and protect Arkansas’ businesses. I am hopeful this common sense tax-cut will be reconsidered in our final weeks.

The Arkansas House approved a bill midweek that would provide fluoridated water to most Arkansas homes. Senate Bill 359 requires cities with more than 5,000 residents to fluoridate their water systems. Opponents of the bill argued that mandating cities to fluoridate water strips local control away from communities. On the other hand, supporters testified that fluoride in water would provide tremendous dental health benefits to Arkansans, including the prevention of tooth decay in children and adults. The bill now goes to the Governor for final approval.

A website that allows the public to provide input on the legislative redistricting process was launched by Secretary of State Mark Martin this week. While the Legislature is charged with redrawing boundaries for Arkansas’ four congressional districts, the Board of Apportionment must use 2010 Census data to redraw the state’s legislative districts. The Apportionment Board includes the Secretary of State, Governor and Attorney General. Reapportionment is expected to begin later this month, and I highly encourage you to participate in this historic process by visiting www.arkansasredistricting.org.

What to watch for:

· Additional House-endorsed tax-cuts, such as House Bill 1002, the Capital Gains Reduction Act, are currently en route to the Senate Revenue and Tax Committee. Keep a close eye on how Senate committee members vote on tax relief measures that passed our full chamber with bi-partisan support.

· The 167-page prison reform bill is now on the table. Prison growth is projected to increase rapidly over the next decade, meaning more cost to our state. Expect debate and discussion on this legislation in the coming week.

I recognize our state’s economic potential and respect your conservative values, which is why I’ve committed to holding the line on government spending and advocating responsible tax-cut proposals. In our final four weeks, the Arkansas House and Senate will negotiate which tax cuts to send to the Governor’s office for consideration. What’s crucial to remember is cutting taxes does not translate into cutting essential services for Arkansans. As a legislative body, we must decide whether we support more of your money flowing into state coffers or whether we want to cut taxes and put that money back in your pockets.

As your Representative, I am honored to serve you in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. My email is david.meeks@arkansashouse.org

I also encourage you to visit www.arkansashouse.org where you can view committee meetings and proceedings happening on the House floor from anywhere in the state.

Week in Review at the State Capitol- February 25th

2011-02-25T19:08:00.004-06:00

What do you get when you cross wild hogs with tax cuts and the Second Amendment? If you guessed week seven of the 88th General Assembly, then you’re correct.

House members began an eventful week on President’s Day, which since 2001, is also recognized as Daisy Gatson Bates Day in Arkansas. We passed a resolution to honor the life and legacy of Bates, who worked as a civil rights leader and advisor to the “Little Rock Nine” as they integrated Central High School in 1957.

A government mandate to require Arkansans to buckle up in the back seat of a vehicle failed to pass the House on Tuesday with a vote of 34-57. House Bill 1356 is an unnecessary intrusion into the private lives of Arkansans, and would have established a $25 fee for adults caught not wearing a seat belt in the back seat.

A tax cut trio is en route to the Arkansas House, after the full Senate passed three measures on Tuesday. Senator Gilbert Baker's Senate Bill 274, a used car tax reduction which raises the exemption on used car sales from $2,500 to $5,000. Senator Bill Sample's Senate Bill 275, a manufacturers' utility tax cut which cuts the sales tax manufacturers pay on natural gas and electricity from 3.25 percent to 2.75 percent. Senator Larry Teague's Senate Bill 276, a grocery tax reduction which cuts the sales tax on groceries by a half-cent.

A bill designed to create a sales tax holiday for the purpose of back to school shopping was approved Wednesday by the Arkansas House with a 90-3 vote. Rep. Matthew Shepherd’s House Bill 1369 would exempt items such as clothing and school supplies from state sales tax the first weekend of August every year. Establishing a tax-free weekend for school shopping will allow working families, teachers and school districts to save money and better provide for students. Most surrounding states already have a similar tax-free weekend in effect. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Tax cuts will help transform our state into an economic engine for business growth and private sector job creation. In the coming weeks, the Arkansas House and Senate will negotiate which tax cuts to send to the Governor’s office to sign. What’s crucial to remember is cutting taxes does not translate into cutting essential services. Any tax cut measure passed by each chamber and approved by the Governor will be spent from the administration’s projected 2.5 percent growth in state spending. Instead of increasing state spending, we need to cut taxes and stimulate economic development.

Meanwhile, the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs House Committee has begun to review about a dozen proposals for constitutional amendments. The General Assembly is allowed to refer up to three measures to the 2012 ballot for voters to consider. One notable amendment is by Senator Jason Rapert, which would require a 75 percent majority of both legislative chambers to pass a tax increase. Most taxes, including the sales tax, can be raised with only a 51 percent majority. However, the income tax and some other taxes already require a 75 percent majority.

The House State Agencies Committee also considered a bill by Rep. Jon Hubbard Wednesday which would deny state benefits to illegal immigrants except in emergencies. This is a bill I fully supported. Unfortunately after hours of debate, the bill failed in committee with a party line vote of eight Democrats voting no and 9 Republicans voting yes.

While a thunderstorm was brewing outside the Capitol on Thursday, inside lawmakers passed a resolution to finish legislative work by April 1 and return for a “sine die” on April 27. A “sine die” is the final adjournment of the legislative session. We have a number of critical issues to tackle in the final five weeks of the session including highway funding, prison reform and congressional redistricting.

A Senate bill to strengthen Second Amendment rights was passed Thursday in the Arkansas House. The measure prevents cities or counties from taking up guns in case of emergency declared by the governor.

On Thursday, we passed a measure making it illegal to release a hog into the wild. Violators would face a $1,000 fine. Supporters of the bill say Arkansas’ wild hog population has exploded in recent years, which is ironic seeing as though we live in “Razorback Country.”

What to watch for:

· House Speaker Robert Moore revealed a $2.8 billion highway program which includes a proposal to raise the state diesel tax by 5 cents a gallon and another proposal to impose a temporary half-cent sales tax. According to the proposal, the diesel tax would be referred to voters in a special election next year while the half-cent sales tax increase would be placed on the November 2012 general election ballot.

Since commencing the session in January, lawmakers in the Arkansas House of Representatives have filed 607 bills as of Friday afternoon. Only 146 bills from the Legislature have been signed into law by Governor Beebe. The deadline to file bills is Monday, March 7.

I also encourage you to visit www.arkansashouse.org where you can watch committee meetings and proceedings happening on the House floor from anywhere in the state

A Hard Decision

2011-02-24T23:07:00.004-06:00

Today I personally made one of the most difficult votes that I have had to make all session. I voted against HB1315, An Act to Provide Health Insurance Coverage for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

The bill would mandate insurance companies cover Autism Spectrum Disorders.

http://staging.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2011/public/HB1315.pdf

Here are the main reasons why I voted against the bill:

1) It’s another government mandate. There are already around 40 different mandates in Arkansas that increase premiums by around 5% to 15%. This is not the only mandate the Arkansas Legislature is considering this session. SB66 requires insurance to cover diagnosis and treatment of morbid obesity.
2) It will add around $30 to private insurance policies per year. While this may not be a lot, it does put an even greater burden on families already stretched to the limit in these economic conditions. As stated in point one, mandates add to the cost of insurance. For the Arkansan spending $800 a month ($9,600/yr) on insurance, you are paying at least $40 a month ($480/yr) due to mandates.
3) Our schools already receive over $100 million in federal funding under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This act includes children with Autism.
4) I believe in the people of Arkansas and believe that there are other solutions that will help solve this issue without the government having to mandate coverage.

A couple of possible solutions:

Non-profit Autism/Disabilities organizations work thru the communities and schools to help those in need.
Insurance companies offering riders that cover certain disabilities and offer the rider to everyone so that people can choose to help rather than force.

We need to work to make our healthcare system better. My philosophy is less government. Let the people, medical, and insurance companies come up with free market solutions.

Today I did not vote against Autism. I voted against more government, and higher premiums.

If you have any questions about this or any other vote, please feel free to contact me. My email address is david.meeks@arkansashouse.org

Week in Review at the State Capital

2011-02-18T22:15:00.004-06:00

The Arkansas Legislature is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. From flowers and candy to a tax cut showdown, week six of the 88th General Assembly proved to be far from ordinary in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

On Valentine’s Day, the full House kicked off an eventful week by passing House Bill 1323, which is designed to protect “cottage food operations,” such as individuals who sell homemade jams or farmers who sell fresh produce at farmers’ markets. The bill exempts cottage food operations from permits required by the Arkansas Department of Health. House Bill 1323 passed the Arkansas Senate Thursday and is now headed to the Governor’s Office to be signed into law. Less government regulation on state farmers and food producers promotes economic growth and I am proud to have voted yes on this bill!

A bill requiring insurance companies to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism was passed Tuesday by the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee. The bill now heads to the full House for consideration. Also on Tuesday, members of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee approved three separate tax cut measures which ultimately set the stage for a tax cut showdown during Wednesday’s House session.

Despite public opposition from Governor Mike Beebe who labeled Republican attempts to cut your taxes “voodoo economics,” the full House on Wednesday approved three bills aiming to lower taxes for Arkansas families, attract business capital and create much-needed jobs.

While the Governor argues the state can’t afford any tax cuts beyond a grocery tax he is advocating, I believe Governor Beebe’s proposed 2.5 percent increase in state government spending, or nearly $110 million, should be utilized for tax cuts. These cuts will provide economic relief to working Arkansans and create a more business-friendly environment in our state. Instead of increasing state spending levels, the projected growth money in the 2012 Fiscal Year budget should be applied to tax cuts for Arkansas families.

After lengthy debate and discussion, the conservative majority in the House passed the following three tax cut measures.

House Bill 1052 by Rep. Lane Jean (R-Magnolia), to decrease the state sales tax on natural gas and electricity used by manufacturers. The bill passed with 88 yes votes, eight no votes and two not voting.

House Bill 1002 by Rep. Ed Garner (R-Maumelle), to create the Arkansas Capital Gains Reduction Act of 2011 which exempts new investments made in Arkansas after July 1, 2011 from the 4.9% Capital Gains Tax. The bill passed with 53 yes votes, 43 no votes, one voting present and one not voting.

House Bill 1056 by Rep. Uvalde Lindsey (D-Fayetteville), to provide income tax relief to head of household taxpayers with two or more dependents. The bill passed with 93 yes votes and five not voting.

The House Transportation Committee on Thursday advanced House Bill 1365, which would require all back-seat passengers to wear a seat belt. Current laws only apply to front-seat passengers and back-seat passengers up to age 14. Also, the full House unanimously passed House Bill 1207, which increases the distance from where individuals can protest funerals from 150 feet to 300 feet.

On Friday, the Governor signed Ethics Reform into law after the Arkansas Senate gave final approval to the House and Senate versions of the bill Wednesday. The measure will implement a one year “cooling off” period before lawmakers can become lobbyists, and remodel legislative travel policy to be more cost efficient.

What to watch for:

Representative Kathy Webb has filed several bills which could have a detrimental effect on the natural gas industry.

House Speaker Robert Moore (D-Arkansas City) will introduce legislation next week that would raise taxes to maintain the state’s highways.

The Arkansas Senate will consider a bill next week to provide used car tax relief to Arkansas families. It would raise the current threshold from $2500 to $5000, meaning that consumers would not have to pay sales taxes on a used vehicle if it cost less than $5000. I will support this measure as it reaches the House floor.

I also encourage you to visit www.arkansashouse.org where you can watch committee meetings and proceedings happening on the House floor from anywhere in the state.

Breaking Down the Numbers

2011-02-12T12:50:00.005-06:00

This past week, the US Census released the 2010 figures for Arkansas.

Here are just some of the figures for Faulkner County, Conway, and the State Senate and House Districts that are in Faulkner County:

Faulkner County went from a population of 86,014 to 113,237 (+27,223).

This is a change of +31.6% (Now the 5th most populated county in Arkansas)

Cities in Faulkner County:

Conway: 58,908 (Now the 7th most populated city in Arkansas)

Damascus: 382

Enola: 338

Greenbrier: 4,706

Guy: 708

Holland: 557

Mayflower: 2,234

Vilonia: 3,815

Wooster: 860

State House Districts:

For redistricting purposes: Around 29,159 (plus or minus 5%)

District 42: 32,375 (Faulkner County: 16,715)

District 45: 32,959 (All in Faulkner County)

District 46: 35,918 (All in Faulkner County)

District 47: 34,367 (Faulkner County: 27,645)

Note: You could fit two House Districts within the city of Conway, and four House Districts within Faulkner County now.

State Senate Districts:

For redistricting purposes: Around 83,311 (plus or minus 5%)

District 18: 85,656 (Faulkner County: 7,640)

District 29: 85,160 (Faulkner County: 1,654)

District 30: 103,943 (All in Faulkner County)

To access the maps and files here is the link: http://2010.census.gov/news/releases/operations/cb11-cn22.html

The Week in Review at the State Capital

2011-02-12T11:54:00.004-06:00

Wintry weather and record snowfall didn’t prevent the House chamber from heating up week five of the legislative session. From tax cuts to sports agents and snowball fights, House members wasted no time in getting down to business.

After observing “Ronald Reagan Day” Sunday, the full House convened and as expected passed the highly publicized ethics reform legislation. House Bill 1284 will implement a one year “cooling off” period before lawmakers can become lobbyists, and remodel legislative travel policy to be more cost efficient. We also passed the senate version of the Ethics Reform Bill on Thursday. When ethics reform is signed into law, we will be the first Assembly to ever place limitations on our behavior during and after we serve the people of this great state. While this is a start, I will continue to push for a longer "cooling off" period.

Also on Monday, we passed a bill requiring sex offenders to register all electronic information, such as online social networking accounts, with local law enforcement. The bill is now headed to the Senate.

Tuesday we passed House Bill 1211, which adds spina bifida and Down syndrome to the list of conditions named in our state law defining “mental or physical impairment.” This clarification will remove roadblocks for Arkansans applying for developmental disability services.

A bill designed to create a sales tax holiday for the purpose of back to school shopping was filed Tuesday by Rep. Matthew Shepherd. House Bill 1369 would provide economic relief to Arkansans by reducing the cost of school-related items. The measure would exempt clothing and accessories, school and art supplies and instructional materials from state sales tax the first weekend of August every year. If approved by both chambers and signed by the Governor, Arkansas families would enjoy the benefits of tax-free school shopping as early as August 2011. I fully intend to support this beneficial piece of legislation when it reaches the full House floor.

As snow began to blanket the State Capitol Wednesday, House members moved full steam ahead and passed the Athlete Agent Reform Act by Rep. David Sanders, which increases the charge for sports agents who unlawfully give money or gifts to student athletes.

House members also passed a bill that would help to prohibit public employees from “double dipping,” or receiving salary and retirement benefits simultaneously. Rep. Allen Kerr’s House Bill 1018 would define “terminate” under eligibility requirements in the Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System. Therefore, a public employee would no longer be able to cheat the system and take themselves off payroll to fabricate termination before returning to work. “Double dipping” is nothing more than unprincipled politics as usual and I am proud to be a part of its termination!

Lawmakers in the House and Senate filed 25 constitutional amendments by Wednesday’s deadline. These amendments must first be passed by the Legislature and then referred to the 2012 ballot for Arkansas voters to approve. Most of the 25 amendments are “shells,” meaning they lack content, but can be amended later to include details.

Also on Wednesday, Rep. Ann Clemmer filed House Joint Resolution 1005 which requires that 35 percent of the Arkansas Lottery’s proceeds be used for scholarships. Currently, only 22 percent is used to provide college scholarships to Arkansas students. More money equals more scholarships for students!

The full House passed a measure on Thursday that would require local law enforcement agencies to also notify the Arkansas State Police when a child is missing. This will guarantee information is communicated in a timely manner so that missing children are found quickly.

What to watch for:

· U.S. Census data for Arkansas was released this past week, which means the Legislature will begin to propose options for congressional redistricting soon. Early results indicate that 39 out of our 75 counties lost population. Thirty-seven of those counties are located in the first and fourth congressional districts. I will keep you updated on redistricting developments as the session progresses.

· Tax cut proposals will continue to surface in the House and Senate Committees on Revenue and Taxation next week. On the House side, look for Rep. Shepherd’s Back to School Tax Holiday (HB 1369), Rep. Lane Jean’s bill to decrease the sales tax on natural gas and electricity for manufacturers (HB 1052), and Rep. Ed Garner’s Arkansas Capital Gains Reduction Act of 2011 (HB 1002).

I also encourage you to visit http://www.arkansashouse.org where you can view live stream committee meetings and proceedings happening on the House floor from anywhere in the state.

Remembering President Reagan

2011-02-06T16:22:00.003-06:00

One of my earliest memories is that of watching Ronald Reagan get elected in 1980. I can remember the hope that he brought to a nation, but more importantly of his belief in the people of America to overcome whatever issue or problem it faced.

If I had to pick one person who was the biggest influence on me politically, it would be without a doubt President Reagan. He showed me that you could hold an office and still stand on your principles.

Thank you President Reagan for all that you did for your country, and for being such a great example to a young boy. Your legacy lives on in me and many other people around the country.

Below is a few of my favorite quotes from Ronald Reagan as well as two of my favorite speeches:

The American dream is not that every man must be level with every other man. The American dream is that every man must be free to become whatever God intends he should become.

They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong. There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right

Mankind's best defense against tyranny and want is limited government--a government which empowers its people, not itself, and which respects the wit and bravery, the initiative, and the generosity of the people. For, above all, human rights are rights of individuals: rights of conscience, rights of choice, rights of association, rights of emigration, rights of self-directed action, and the right to own property. The concept of a nation of free men and women linked together voluntarily is the genius of the system our Founding Fathers established.

Why is the Constitution of the United States so exceptional?... Just three words: We the people. In... other constitutions, the Government tells the people of those countries what they are allowed to do. In our Constitution, we the people tell the Government what it can do

I hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: as government expands, liberty contracts.

We can leave our children with an unrepayable massive debt and a shattered economy, or we can leave them liberty in a land where every individual has the opportunity to be whatever God intended us to be. All it takes is a little common sense and recognition of our own ability. Together we can forge a new beginning for America

Our friends in the other party will never forgive us for our success, and are doing everything in their power to rewrite history. Listening to the liberals, you'd think that the 1980s were the worst period since the Great Depression, filled with suffering and despair. I don't know about you, but I'm getting awfully tired of the whining voices from the White House these days. They're claiming there was a decade of greed and neglect, but you and I know better than that. We were there.

Click on the link to view an extensive list of Reagan Quotes: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/838536/posts

Week in Review at the State Capital

2011-02-04T15:56:00.003-06:00

Lawmakers in the 88th General Assembly wrapped up our first month of the legislative session after an active week full of discussion and debate on topics ranging from ethics reform, abortion funding to community safety and former President Ronald Reagan.

On Monday, we passed House Bill 1004, which would prohibit the state’s Public Defender Commission from paying for private attorneys hired by indigent defendants, and it would also set controls on how trial expenses for those defendants are paid. Under this bill, tax dollars cannot be spent to pay for any attorneys fees. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

The much-needed Ethics Reform bill for state lawmakers made its way through House and Senate committees this week with overwhelming support from both chambers. The bill requires a one-year “cooling off” period before ex-lawmakers can register as lobbyists. I believe reasonable restrictions and separations are necessary to protect the integrity of the Legislature.

The ethics proposal would also require lawmakers to be reimbursed for the most cost-efficient mode of travel for out of state conferences. In the past, there have been several instances of legislators abusing the system to make money. This bill will model our policy after the Department of Finance and Administration’s travel policy for every other state employee.

The Ethics Reform bill currently has 74 co-sponsors in the 98-member House. Both the House and Senate are expected to vote on the bill Monday.

On Tuesday, the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs approved a measure that would authorize the state Contractors Licensing Board to sanction contractors who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.

Several bills to toughen laws on sex offenders were approved by the Arkansas House of Representatives this week. Tuesday the chamber passed House bill 1009, which would allow local law enforcement agencies to immediately notify the public when a sex offender from another state enters a community. We also passed House Bill 1243, which would establish a late fee for sex offenders who fail to register their address with law enforcement on time. Estimates show about 1,200 offenders are currently delinquent in registering.

Lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee approved House Bill 1278, which would require individuals subject to the lifetime sex offender registration to register electronic information such as email addresses, internet usernames and social media accounts. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration. I am proud to support all three measures as they aim to increase the safety and security of every community in Arkansas.

A bill sponsored by Rep. Jane English that would require improvement districts and protection districts to file annual financial reports was passed by the full House on Thursday.

We also passed House Resolution 1008 by Rep. Jon Woods, to honor the life and legacy of President Ronald Reagan. The measure declared February 6, 2011, “Ronald Reagan Day,” which would have been the former president’s 100th birthday. President Reagan’s belief in American exceptionalism, individual ingenuity, and a less intrusive government continues to influence generations of Americans and are principles I live by as I represent the people of House District 46.

A bill to ban public funding of abortions as proposed in the federal health care overhaul stalled in the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on Thursday. Despite the fact Senator Cecile Bledsoe’s bill passed with bipartisan support in the Arkansas Senate, House Democrats added a hostile amendment that would make the bill conflict with the Arkansas Constitution. As a result, the bill was tabled. Putting partisan politics above Arkansas values is not in the best interests of our state. However, I remain hopeful this important piece of legislation will surface again later in the session.

What to watch for:

· Lt. Governor Mark Darr’s vision to create an online checkbook to track state spending is now a reality with Senate Bill 221, The Arkansas Financial Transparency Act. The bipartisan bill would create a free, publicly accessible website through which information on state expenditures will be published on a regular, ongoing basis. Taxpayers have a right to know how and where their money is being spent, and I fully intend to support this solid piece of legislation when it reaches the House.

· Debate on tax cut bills will begin this week with discussion on Governor Mike Beebe’s proposed grocery tax cut.

· When legislators kick-off our second month of the session, I remain committed to representing your values and your voice as we begin to tackle critical issues such as, prison reform, highway funding, tax cuts, and congressional redistricting. I also encourage you to visit www.arkansashouse.org where you can live stream committee meetings and proceedings happening on the House floor from anywhere in the state.

As your Representative, I am honored to serve you in the Arkansas House. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. My email is david.meeks@arkansashouse.org.

A Little Understanding...

2011-01-30T16:41:00.007-06:00

In a recent opinion column this was written:

“The U.S. Supreme Court has the final say when it come to interpreting federal law.

Either Meeks doesn't understand this or he's showboating. Since his degree is in pastoral ministries and not jurisprudence, the former would appear to be the case. On the other hand, clearly HB 1053 is a tea-party bill and Meeks is a tea-party guy, so there is a third possibility, sheer presumptuousness. But that's for others to say.” Meredith Oakley

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2011/jan/28/corner-turn-20110128/

This is just one of the examples about those who have made the judgement that either I (or the Tea Party) don't understand or just don't know all the facts. So to help clear up any misunderstandings, here is a little more about why I filed HB1053, the Healthcare Freedom Act:

On January 10^th when I was sworn in, I along with all the other representatives all took an oath that says: “I will support the Constitution of the United States and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of State Representative in and for the State of Arkansas on which I am about to enter.”

I can assure you what I did was not showboating, but just keeping the oath I took not only on January 10^th, 2011, but also on June 30^th, 1990 when I was sworn into the US Army.

While it is true I don’t have a law degree, that doesn’t mean I can’t understand law or the way our judicial system works. That would be like me telling you that you can’t understand the Bible because you don’t have a pastoral ministries degree.

So here are some things I understand:

I understand what our founding fathers meant when they wrote the 10^th amendment.

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

I understand what James Madison meant when he wrote:

“The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government, are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.”

I understand that the powers in the Constitution that are few and defined are found in Article I, Section 8.

I understand that unless the State or the people give more powers to the Federal Government then the Federal Government has overstepped its bounds as laid out in the Constitution.

And I understand that when the Federal Government oversteps its bounds, it is the right of the States to challenge them.

That is why I filed HB1053. I truly believe that by forcing Arkansans to purchase health insurance the Federal Government has overstepped its bounds.

Yes, I understand that ultimately the Supreme Court will decide on this issue, but I believe that this issue is important enough that we join with other states in challenging the Federal Government and so do the overwhelming majority of Arkansans.

Hopefully, now that people have a better understanding of what I believe in, there won’t be any misunderstandings in the future.

Here to Serve,

David Meeks

PS> There have been many cases where the Supreme Court has ruled on the side of states so to use the argument that federal law trumps state law is not understanding history.

Week in Review at the State Capital

2011-01-29T18:27:00.002-06:00

This week at the Capital:

The halls of the Arkansas State Capitol were buzzing with conversation of spending cuts, healthcare reform, and abortion issues as House members began our third week of the 88th General Assembly.

Monday afternoon the House convened and passed House Bill 1063, the $36 million spending bill that Joint Budget Committee amended last week to remove judicial pay raises totaling $475,000. The full House and Senate approved the General Appropriation Act, and the Governor has now signed it into law. Significantly, the vote to freeze salaries opened a valuable window for legislators in both chambers to begin discussing spending cuts and examining every dollar appropriated by state government. As the session progresses, we expect budget issues to remain at the forefront of our legislative agenda as each party works together to contain state spending and advance Arkansas economically.

The House Transportation Committee unanimously advanced a measure by Rep. Kathy Webb of Little Rock on Tuesday which would allow individuals to choose to be notified by e-mail rather than regular mail when it is time to renew their vehicle registration. This innovative use of technology could potentially save our state $97,000 annually. Speaking of saving state money, the full House passed Rep. Justin Harris’ bill on Tuesday which requires sex offenders to verify their registration at local law enforcement agencies, potentially saving our state over $70,000 in postage annually. House Bill 1007 now heads to the Senate for consideration.

The Nick Bacon Remembrance Act, named for the late Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Nick Bacon, was approved by the House this week. The Act would allow honorably discharged veterans to have their veteran’s status listed on their Arkansas driver’s license. It was a great privilege to have Nick Bacon’s family as our guests as the bill passed the House.

Midweek, the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee voted 12-7 to prevent House Bill 1053, the Healthcare Freedom Act, from reaching the House floor for a full debate and vote. The bill, sponsored by Rep. David Meeks, R-Conway, aimed to prevent the individual mandate in the healthcare law from forcing Arkansans to purchase health insurance. Five Republicans and two Democrats on the committee voted in favor of the Healthcare Freedom Act. Individual liberty and freedom of choice take precedent over federally-imposed mandates, and I applaud those committee members who took a principled stand to represent conservative Arkansas values.

What to watch for:

A Senate Bill aimed at preventing taxpayer dollars from funding abortions as projected in the federal healthcare overhaul is now headed to the Arkansas House. Republican Senator Cecile Bledsoe of Rogers sponsored the legislation, which I fully intend to support as it reaches the House floor.

For the first time in our state’s history, a true two-party system is now in play in the Arkansas Legislature. Together, each party will work to tackle issues ranging from redistricting to highway funding and tax cuts.

As your Representative, I am honored to serve you in the Arkansas House. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. My email is: david.meeks@arkansashouse.org

Here to Serve,
David Meeks