Legislative Summary 2019 (PDF)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Legislative 2019 Summary 92ND General Assembly 1 Arkansas State Chamber/AIA Advocacy Efforts Historic Session for Business Gov. Hutchinson and Randy Zook visit after Hutchinson’s signing of Act 576 Legislation adopted by the 92nd General Assembly will enhance the vitality of the Arkansas business community for years to come. Governor Asa Hutchinson said this about the session, “I think I would make the claim that this last legislative session was the GOAT ... the greatest of all time.” We’ll leave it to historians to rank the sessions, but multiple issues we’ve worked on for more than a decade were adopted. For employers, the most significant changes will be a reduction in corporate, individual and unemployment insurance taxes, which will provide at least $100 million per year in savings! Arkansas Advantage 2030 In 2015, the Arkansas State Chamber/AIA commissioned a study to identify the critical areas that needed to be improved to make Arkansas more competitive. “Arkansas Advantage 2030” identified four areas that Arkansas must improve to increase its competitiveness with other states: Improve Worker Readiness Goal: Give Arkansas Businesses a Competitive Advantage by Having the Best Trained and Educated Workforce for the Jobs of the Future 2019 Legislative Agenda Improve the Arkansas Business Climate Our 2019 Legislative Agenda addressed issues from the Arkansas Goal: Move Arkansas into the Best (Top 15) ranked States for Advantage 2030 study. Each of our issue-based committees met Business Climate in the fall of 2018 to discuss and identify issues that would move Arkansas forward. The Agenda was then reviewed and approved Improve the Arkansas Legal Climate by our Boards of Directors. We then shared the agenda with the Goal: To Promote Business Expansion and Economic Growth Governor and legislative leaders. We developed 11 bills and two Joint through a more Consistent Resolutions on the Priority and Competitive Civil Justice Issues from our Agenda and System all were adopted. These bills Maximize the Impact of and resolutions addressed the Economic Development following issues: Efforts and the Tools for • Unemployment Insurance Success • Taxation Goal: Create and Maintain • Workforce Quality & a “Best-of-Class” State Education Economic and Workforce Development Delivery • Transportation & System and to Create the Infrastructure Tools for the System to be • Ballot Initiative Process Successful • Labor & Employment • Legal Environment State Chamber/AIA 13 priority bills Over passed in $100annual savings million to employers 2 Legislative Support Kenny Hall testifying We commend members of the General Assembly on the hard work they did over 87 days and the value to the state of what they accomplished. We are also very thankful that 88 percent of the entire legislature voted with us at least 70 percent of the time on key business and economic issues. Advocacy Activities We hosted a Business 101 session December 11, 2018 that was open to all members of the General Assembly. Education information on key issues for business were presented. Our Legislative Reception in the “Big Tent” was held January 22, 2019 and drew more than 300 people including our members, a majority of the Legislators and Constitutional officers, and other state government officials. Each Monday we hosted a luncheon for the business lobbyist community. We heard from legislative leaders, the Governor’s Chief Toni Lindsey and Andrew Parker of Staff and closed the series with Governor Hutchinson. The State Chamber/AIA Daily Legislative Update was provided by email each day of the Session. This provided readers with daily lists of bills added to our tracking system along with summaries of key bills and their status. Several “calls to action” for grassroots support of the most important bills were issued. Response to those calls was effective. 2020 General Election There is still important work to be done. Two-thirds of the highway maintenance funding will need to be adopted by the people in the 2020 General Election, as will a major piece of the ballot initiative reform. Business Matters. 2019 Governmental Affairs Team (left to right): Andrew Parker, Director of Governmental Affairs; Hannah Barr, Intern; Randy Zook, President & CEO; Toni Lindsey, Director of Governmental Affairs Northwest Arkansas; and Kenny Hall, Executive Vice President 3 3 Arkansas State Chamber/AIA Leadership Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Officers Chairman of the Board: Immediate Past Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Phil Baldwin Chairman: Curtis Barnett John Burgess Raymond M. Burns Ronnie Dedman Citizens Bank Ray C. Dillon Arkansas Blue Mainstream Rogers-Lowell Area AT&T Arkansas State Chamber/ Deltic Timber Cross and Blue Technologies, Inc. Chamber AIA Treasurer Corporation (Retired) Shield of Commerce Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Gary Head Laura Landreaux Michael Lindsey Andy Miller Nelson Peacock Frank Thomas George Wheatley Signature Bank Entergy Walmart Inc. Flywheel Energy NWA Council Stephens Inc. Waste Management of Arkansas of Arkansas Associated Industries of Arkansas Officers 2018 PAC Chairs Chairman of the Immediate Past Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Ray Dillon Board: Chairman: Chris Hart David Peacock Paul Rivera Retired Grady E. Harvell Haskell L. Dickinson Central Moloney Hytrol Conveyor Caterpillar Inc. W&W | AFCO McGeorge Contracting Inc. Company Inc. Division Company Inc. Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Vice Chairman: Past Chairman: Andy Miller Thad Solomon Mindy K. West Greg Williams Jeffrey Wood Bill Reed Flywheel Energy, Nucor-Yamato Steel Murphy USA Inc. Nabholz Tyson Foods, Inc. Riceland Foods Inc. LLC Construction (Retired) Services 4 2019 State Chamber Board David Avery Mel Coleman Duane Highley Michael S. Moore Wayne Smith Larry Wilson Windstream North Arkansas Arkansas Electric Friday Eldredge Oaklawn Jockey Club First Arkansas Bank & Clark LLP Gary Beasley Electric Cooperative Cooperatives Elizabeth Solano & Trust E.C. Barton Steven Collier Alan Hope Mike Myers MISO David Wolf & Company Winrock International ARcare Powers Scott Teague Southland Gaming Scott Bennett John Cooper of Arkansas, Inc. Lesley Nalley U.S. Bank Arkansas Department Hot Springs Ex-Officio Cooper Tom Hopper Ryan Underwood of Transportation Village POA Communities Inc. Crafton Tull BKD, LLP Tim Allen Don Bobbitt and Associates Gary Newton Fort Smith Chamber Carlton Davis Donald E. Walker University of Arkansas Learns of Commerce Warren Bank Karla Hughes Arvest Bank Arkansas System & Trust Company University of Michael O. Parker Matt Boch Sam Walls Walter Bryant Arkansas at Dover Dixon Dover, Dixon, Horne Rich Davis The Arkansas Capital CenterPoint Energy Monticello Horne PLLC Black Hills Energy Corporation Group Tom Kennedy James W. Carr Troy Keeping Rob Ratley Entergy Arkansas, Houston D. Davis Drew Weber Harding University Keeping Konsulting OG+E Inc. University of Central U.S. Pizza Co. Inc. Bret Carroll Arkansas Kurt Knickrehm Chris Raymer Kevin McGilton Charles Welch Conway Corporation McGriff Insurance Mississippi County Riceland Foods Bryan Day Arkansas State Hospital System Davy Carter Little Rock George Knollmeyer University System Mike Mika Centennial Bank Port Authority Ben E. Keith MaryJane Rebick Tyson Foods, Inc. Troy Wells Company Standard Business Joe Carter Angela DeLille Baptist Health Myla Petree Snyder Environmental Cox Communications Benny M. Koontz Systems Baldor Electric Sherece West Koontz Electric Mike Ross Company Marty Casteel Steve Edwards The Winthrop Company Inc. Southwest Power Pool Simmons First GES Inc./Food Giant Rockefeller Robert D. Smith National Bank Bradley Hardin Kim Linam Reynie Rutledge Foundation Robert D. Smith, III Arkansas Oklahoma AEP Southwestern First Security Bank Ken Stuckey Marvin Childers Gas Corporation Gordon Wilbourn The Poultry Electric Power Sam Sicard Kutak Rock LLP Pace Industries Company Randy Massanelli Federation First National Bank Lynn Tatum University of Dan Williams Michael Harvey of Fort Smith Tyson Foods, Inc. Ed Choate Arkansas Garver Delta Dental NWA Council Brad Smith Jeff Williams Connie Vaughn of Arkansas Inc. David Moore Kimbel Mechanical Daniel Heard America’s McKee Foods Uniti Group Inc. Farm Bureau Mutual Systems R. Andrew Clyde Insurance Company Car-Mart, Inc. Guy Wade Murphy USA Inc. Stephanie Smith of AR, Inc. Steve Willis Friday Eldredge Easter Seals Arkansas G4S Secure Solutions & Clark 2019 AIA Board James P. Adams Jeff Carr George Harguess Robert E. Langston Thomas Schueck Lenore Trammell Gar-Bro Hackney Ladish, Inc. Denso Manufacturing Langston Lexicon Inc. Big River Steel Manufacturing Arkansas, Inc. Companies Inc. Caryl Chilldres Mike Simpson James D. Walcott Company Tokusen U.S.A., Inc. Trish Henry Gary McChesney TCPrint Solutions Weldon Williams Steven M. Anthony Russellville Steel FutureFuel Chemical & Lick Inc. Mark DiGirolamo Jim Sliker Anthony Company Inc. Company Nucor Steel-Arkansas Central States Ernie Walker Timberlands, Inc. John Farmer Bill Horne Scott McGeorge Manufacturing Rineco Chemical Industries Scotty Bell Clearwater Paper McGeorge Novus Arkansas, LLC Melissa Smith Tammy Waters Virco Manufacturing Corporation Contracting Company McKee Foods Domtar Ashdown Mill Corporation Trent Goins Inc. OK Foods Inc. Ken Jenkins Corporation Chris Weiser Steve Brothers Martin Sprocket Patrick Moore Mark Stenger J V Manufacturing Inc. American Greetings Clay Gordon & Gear Inc. Evergreen