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Votes at a glance: Joint Budget Committee adopts subcommittee reports, multiple bills; corrections appropriation split and later defeated
Summary
The committee adopted several subcommittee reports and cleared numerous bills for further action. The Department of Corrections portion of the governor's capital letter was pulled for a separate vote and later failed.
The Joint Budget Committee on Feb. 26 adopted multiple subcommittee reports, approved a state contract review and advanced several bills and house items with little debate. The committee separated the Department of Corrections request from the governor’s capital letter and then took a separate vote on that item, which failed.
Actions the committee adopted included the claims subcommittee report, the Employee Benefits Division oversight report, and the peer review subcommittee report. The peer review subcommittee also moved review of a Division of Environmental Quality contract: a $539,966 in‑state contract to CTEH for air monitoring in Towneetown. The committee approved that review and adoption of the peer review report.
Representative Cavanaugh offered an amendment shifting livestock show funding — reducing a line for one named show (AYE) to $5,400 and reallocating about $42,000 to other county fairs; the amendment was adopted.
The committee proceeded through a series of bills and house items with brief or no discussion and recorded motions that passed by voice vote. Items adopted included (as listed in the committee packet and read aloud): Senate Bill 26 (Department of Aeronautics division), Senate Bill 127 (University of Arkansas at Fayetteville), Senate Bill 245 (institution of higher education), House Bill 1146 (Attorney General), House Bill 1175 (Heritage and Tourism), House Bill 1193 (institution of higher education), House Bill 1493 (institution of higher education — as read in the packet), and House Bill 1544 (Treasurer of State, county aid). For each of these, the committee recorded motions to pass or adopt and the chair called the vote; the motions carried.
On the peer review report, Senator Tucker said the subcommittee approved various temporary appropriations and American Rescue Plan Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriations, reallocation requests for the Department of Human Services, and restricted reserve transfers. The peer review presentation noted the in‑state contract to CTEH for $539,966 for air monitoring in Towneetown.
When the committee considered the governor’s letter (capital projects), Representative Hill successfully moved to remove the Department of Corrections item for a separate vote. The committee then approved the remainder of the governor’s letter. Later, the separate vote on the $330,000,000 appropriations request for the Department of Corrections failed after a roll call; the committee recorded 14 yes votes and the motion failed (15 were required for approval at that stage).
The meeting concluded after clearing the listed items; members were told the committee will meet again next Thursday and that there will be interim committee work on subitems as needed.
Votes at a glance (selected items recorded in session): • Claims subcommittee report — motion adopted. • Senate Bill 132 — reported ready for due pass as amended (motion passed). • EBD oversight (formulary/Novitas Business Consulting Inc. contract) — motion adopted. • Peer review report and DEQ contract (CTEH) — motion adopted; DEQ contract value $539,966. • Representative Cavanaugh amendment to livestock show funding (reduce AYE to $5,400, reallocate ~$42,000) — adopted. • Governor's letter (capital projects) — adopted except for Department of Corrections item, which was removed for separate vote. • Department of Corrections appropriation request, $330,000,000 — separate vote failed (14 yes; required 15; motion failed). • Senate Bill 26 — adopted. • Senate Bill 127 — adopted. • Senate Bill 245 — adopted. • House Bill 1146 — adopted. • House Bill 1175 — adopted. • House Bill 1193 — adopted. • House Bill 1493 — adopted. • House Bill 1544 — adopted.
Notes: the committee used voice votes for many items; where the transcript recorded only "motion carries" or an "aye" chorus, member‑level roll calls were not provided in the transcript. Items adopted in the packet were advanced for drafting or further legislative action rather than immediate fund release, per standard committee procedure.
