Today at the Capitol....... Friends, Although we will meet next Wednesday for our official Sine Die adjournment, we completed our work for this Fiscal Session on the House floor this morning. We passed the last batch of appropriation bills and the Senate version of the Revenue Stabilization Act. The budget now heads to the Governor’s desk for his signature. During the course of this session, we passed more than 250 appropriation bills fully funding our state agencies. We increased funding to education, higher education, our state correctional facilities, and gave a 1% cost of living adjustment to our state employees. Today we also passed two bills which will appropriate $10 million of the state’s surplus from this fiscal year. SB145 gives $5 million to the Department of Education for Open Enrollment Public Charter School Facilities. This is to match a grant from the private sector. SB146 appropriates funds which will also be used as a matching grant of $5 million for broadband for Arkansas school districts. The House will reconvene on Wednesday, March 19 at 1:30 pm for Sine Die. This allows us an opportunity to wrap up any unfinished business or address any veto overrides. House Rules state that a House caucus convene 15 minutes following Sine Die adjournment of the fiscal session to elect a Speaker-designate. A candidate must have 51 votes by secret ballot to be elected as the next Speaker. You can watch the official adjournment and the election for Speaker-designate at arkansashouse.org.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 02:00:02 +0000
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