Committee debate on House Bill 1695 centers on lien and notice language; final roll call shows amendment failed

A legislative committee considered Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 1695, which sponsors said would clarify how cities notify lien holders and remove a separate notice to the land commissioner—s office. After extended discussion, a recessed review to resolve a typographical error, and public comment opposing expanded lien authority, the committee recorded a roll-call vote that the transcript concludes with "Your amendment has failed."

Representative Jay Richardson (District 49) presented the amendment and told the committee that the bankers association and the Land Title Association had requested changes to clarify existing lien-holder notice language and that "Senator Dismay wanted to do to give the notice to the land commissioner's office about buying delinquent property." Richardson said the changes were agreed-upon language and asked for a favorable vote.

Committee members identified a typographical error in the amendment text (a stray "3" producing a "3 65" sequence where a different figure belonged). The committee recessed to resolve the drafting issue. After the recess, John Wilkerson of the Arkansas Municipal League confirmed the intent: the amendment had been engrossed, title companies opposed extending the timeframes, and the agreed language left existing timeframes in place while adding notice protections for bankers in foreclosure processes.

One member of the public, Paul Calvert, spoke against the amendment, saying it "touches close to an issue that I've had personally" and arguing the bill would expand the power of cities to impose liens. He told the committee he believed the municipal league continued to support an action taken against him that he called unlawful and said he did not support giving cities more power.

Representative Richardson closed and asked for a vote. The transcript records an initial voice vote in which a clerk called for ayes and the chair said "Ayes have it," but the later roll-call sequence in the record concludes with a statement that the amendment failed. The transcript does not include a completed numerical tally in a single consolidated roll-call record available in the provided excerpt.

The record shows substantive negotiation between municipal and private stakeholders (municipal league, bankers association, land title association) over notice and lien language, a public comment opposing expanded city lien authority, a recess to correct drafting errors, and a final committee action that the transcript marks as failed.