Legislative Council to meet next week
The Arkansas Legislative Council meetings for this week have been cancelled because of the winter storm that moved into Central Arkansas on Sunday and will be held next week, council co-chairs Sen. Terry Rice, R-Waldron, and Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, R-Hermitage said Monday.
“Wardlaw and I were ready to go,” Rice said, but “it is dangerous for some people to go, so we erred on the side of safety.”
Wardlaw said other lawmakers urged him to cancel this week’s meetings and reschedule them for next week because of the weather.
On Jan. 23, the council’s Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review Subcommittee will meet 10 a.m., the Review Subcommittee will meet at 1:30 p.m., and the personnel subcommittee will meet at 3 p.m., Bureau of Legislative Research Director Marty Garrity said in an email about rescheduling this week’s meetings for next week.
Among other things, the agenda for the council’s Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review Subcommittee includes the state Department of Human Services’ requests for $3.8 million in federal American Rescue plan funds for the Green River Medical Center, $3.4 million for the South Mississippi County Regional Medical Center, $3.4 million for the Bradley County Medical Center, and $2.7 million for the Mena Regional Health System.
In March 2021, President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act that is designed to help the United States recover from the economic and health effects of the covid-19 pandemic.
On Jan. 24, the council’s Employee Benefits Division Oversight Subcommittee will meet at 10 a.m., the Highway Commission Review and Advisory Committee will meet at noon, and the Game and Fish/ State Police Subcommittee will meet at 1:30 p.m.
On Jan. 25, the council’s Administrative Rules Subcommittee will meet at 10 a.m., the Executive Subcommittee will meet at noon and the Occupational Licensing Review Subcommittee will meet at 1:30 p.m.
On Jan. 26, the full Legislative Council is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. but may start at 8 a.m., Garrity said in her email.