Thursday, May 2, 2024 - Day 23

AT THE CAPITOL

The House and Senate concluded their business this morning and will return at noon on May 9 for sine die final adjournment.

NON-APPROPRIATION BILLS

SB 78 by Sen. Joshua Bryant and Rep. Rick McClure and SB 79 by Sen. Missy Irvin and Rep. Jeremiah Moore were considered by the House yesterday. SB 78 passed 93 to four, and SB 79 passed 93 to five.

SB 78 would place noise limits on crypto mines, prohibit them from being owned by certain foreign entities, and allow local governments to pass ordinances regulating the mines.

SB 79 provides a state presence of regulatory oversight to crypto mining operations. It would require crypto mining businesses to acquire a permit from the Oil and Gas Commission in order to operate.

STATE BUDGET

The General Assembly passed its Revenue Stabilization Act (RSA) yesterday that outlines the state’s spending for the 2024-25 Fiscal Year. The Senate passed SB 80 by Sen. Jonathan Dismang 34 to 11, and the House passed HB 1097 by Rep. Lane Jean 96 to one. The RSA includes a $109.3 million increase, which is a 1.76% increase in state spending, as proposed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. With the increase, the total state general budget for the next fiscal year will be $6.31 billion. The largest increases will be allocated to Educational Freedom Accounts, the Public School Fund, and Arkansas State Police.

Rep. Lane Jean, co-chair of the Joint Budget Committee, told House members that everything in the budget was going into category A, which means it will get funded.

SB 77 by Sen. Breanne Davis and Rep. Jim Wooten, outlines a temporary pay plan for state employees. The plan would raise employee salaries by up to 3%. It would also set the minimum salary for state employees at $32,405 a year, raise the maximum salary range for pay grades by 10%, and offer special compensation under specific circumstances.