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House Judiciary Committee chair lays out agenda logistics, texts members before bills and schedules Supreme Court chief justice visit
Summary
Chair Carol Dolby explained how the committee will manage bills, member notifications and amendments; several stakeholder groups introduced themselves and the Administrative Office of the Courts noted formation of a district-judges Judicial Council under Amendment 80.
House Judiciary Committee Chair Carol Dolby told members that the committee will contact legislators by text before calling bills, asked members to provide contact information, and outlined other procedural guidance during the committee—s organizational meeting.
"I will always text you the day before, hopefully, 2 days before," Dolby said, describing how she will notify members which bills the committee intends to consider. She said the committee does not call the entire docket each day and will slot bills for members who indicate they are ready. Dolby added that proposed amendments should be submitted in writing and that she tries to avoid late-night sessions.
Dolby explained quorum and vote thresholds: the committee requires 11 members for a quorum; she said it typically takes 10 affirmative votes to advance a bill out of the committee unless the speaker is present, in which case 11 votes are required. She also told new members about committee staff: committee analyst Kobe Little, staffer Emily Jamieson and committee attorney Caitlin Bennett.
Multiple frequent participants introduced themselves, including Scott Bradley of the Arkansas Sheriff's Association; Mark Whitmore of the Association of Arkansas Counties; Greg Parish and staff attorneys from the Public Defender Commission; Marty Sullivan and Kristen Clark from the Administrative Office of the Courts; representatives from the prosecutor coordinator's office; and staff from the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health's substance-abuse office. Sullivan told members that Amendment 80 has been "fully constituted" and that a judicial council for district judges is forming.
Dolby also announced that the committee will meet Tuesday at 10:00 and that the chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court is scheduled to address the committee and may present a bill. The meeting concluded with routine housekeeping items and no formal votes were taken during the organizational portion of the session.
