Senator Kim Hammer Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to ask Jill a question, just for my own clarification and people that may be watching live stream now because I've not sat on the committee before. What exactly are our areas that we have jurisdiction over? 

 

Jill Thayer Jill Thayer, Bureau of Legislative Research. Senator Hammer, under the law, this committee has a jurisdiction over legislative spaces within the State Capitol building. So any of the spaces over in Big Mac are not part of this committee's purview. So legislative spaces here are. 

 

Senator Kim Hammer And the House had their committee rooms done last-- 

 

Jill Thayer Last time. It wasn't last year though. It was two sessions ago. 

 

Senator Kim Hammer Two sessions ago. Madam Chair, I'd like to put it out for discussion, we come back together. When was the last time this end was done, Jill? 

 

Jill Thayer This committee has not met since, I believe, 2018. 

 

Senator Kim Hammer The committee has not met since 2018? Okay. But as far as this end in our committee rooms, when was the last time they were done? Like how old are the chairs and our stuff? Or does anybody remember? [Off mic conversation] So this end hasn't been touched since 2003? The Senate committee rooms have not been touched since 2003, give or take? How about coming to the mic, if you don't mind? Is that alright, Madam Chair? 

 

Secretary Ann Cornwell One thing you might have the Secretary of State's office look at, the drapes in the Old Supreme Court room are frayed. They really are bad. If you walk up and look at them, I've had several people come up and mention those drapes to me. And that would be something that they would put in. But you'd need to request it from Cole Jester, as long as he's Secretary of State, or even the next.

 

Representative DeAnn Vaught Can I have Ms. Jill explain the money real quick so people online understand where the money comes from? I don't want them to think that we're just frivolously throwing money out there. 

 

Jill Thayer Thank you, Madam Chair. The Bureau has in its appropriation every year, $205,000. It's a line item that's designated for legislative facilities. And the practice in the past has been that the Chambers alternate who gets that money that would be authorized by this committee. 

 

Representative DeAnn Vaught Present pro tem Hester, you are recognized. 

 

Senator Bart Hester Well, I would like for us to understand if we did some reconfiguration. We can't build these rooms for Easter Sunday, right? But we also almost every committee meeting people are standing. Do we need half this table if we went with a U shape? But I don't know interior design, who you employee to try to figure out how we can be the most efficient with the space we have. Are our chairs too bulky and we can add in seven more seats if we change the kind of chairs they are? I would just like to understand can we do what we're doing better. And that is for the constituent experience. We always get the good seats, right? I'm never not going to walk in a room and not have a seat during session. But what can we to make it more user friendly for the people? 

 

Representative DeAnn Vaught And I totally agree with that. We were talking prior to going online about y'all's Ag, Senate Ag. And there's never a time that it's not two people deep against the wall. I mean, it is completely packed every single time that committee meets. And you can't even hardly get into the chair to testify for your bill because there's so many people behind you. So I agree 100%. And Miss Jill, do you know who we could maybe call on to look to make sure that we're doing it more efficiently in the room? 

 

Jill Thayer I don't know if the Secretary of State might be able to assist with that. Marty may have a better answer. 

 

Representative DeAnn Vaught Ms. Marty, could you please come to the table? 

 

Senator Bart Hester Yeah, if it's just layout or if we need to change the furniture, right? Like this table seats 20. We need eight seats for members, two seats for staff. So we need 10 seats or maybe two for people. We need 12 and this one seats 20. If we went to a 12 top, could we add another row or two of seats for people? 

 

Representative DeAnn Vaught Recognize yourself for the record, then you might be. 

 

Marty Garrity Marty Garrity with the Bureau of Legislative Research. I think you have probably a couple of options. I know the Secretary of State's office, they have architects and contractors that they work with on a regular basis. We also have division of building authority with Anne Laidlaw. That may be an option. I know they have a state architect that may be willing to come in and assist with kind of looking at the room or resources within that division that could help, too. And alternatively, you could hire an independent consultant, architect, or designer that could assist with that. 

 

Jill Thayer Senator Dotson, you're recognized. 

 

Senator Jim Dotson Thank you, Madam Chair. So two questions. One, when a lot of the House rooms were reconfigured, I think I remember we applied for some sort of a matching grants from historical society or something like that. So one, checking to see if that's available to add on to the amount that we have appropriated and set aside for things. And then secondarily also looking at the lighting in the various Senate chamber rooms for sure as well as the mics. There's several mics that are, especially in the Education committee room, because they're not wired, the batteries die on them. They're difficult to get to turn on and then the sound in there is very hard to hear if you're sitting at the table or even in the audience sometimes. So looking at those things for a future meeting to see what we plan to do would be the things that I would suggest us look into. 

 

Representative DeAnn Vaught Senator Hammer. 

 

Senator Kim Hammer I'm sorry, are you talking about 207 where Education meet? Correct me if I'm wrong, we just took care of that, right? Senate Efficiency just took care of authorizing the purchasing of new mics to match what's in here. That'd be going in there to get rid of those shell mics. Okay. That's right, isn't it? 

 

Senator Jim Dotson I think it must have been. I saw something about mics on there and that's why it reminded me to mention it. And then do we have authority over like the Senate chamber as well? Is that the Senate Efficiency Committee? So again the lighting and maybe even cleaning of the dome glass and those curtains that are up there. I don't know if those are still necessary or not. But I know when the the curtains were taken out of the House chamber, it really brightened things up in there. So those would be things I would consider. Get rid of all the drapes. 

 

Senator Kim Hammer Can you clarify something for me because I was thinking that when it comes to the chambers of the respective ends, that in our case, it's the efficiency committee that takes care of any decisions with regards to remodel within the Senate chamber. Am I right or wrong on that? 

 

Jill Thayer I think that that's how the practice is, that it's been handled that way. Yes. This committee could allocate those funds for you to utilize for that. 

 

Representative DeAnn Vaught Representative Dalby, you're recognized. 

 

Representative Carol Dalby I would have a motion at a proper time that we allow our chairs to get with the Secretary of State's office and also with the State Facilities Commission to see if they would have the expertise that could go and look at each one of these rooms, taking into consideration the need for space, lighting, carpet, that kind of thing. I would move that we give our chairs that authority to talk to them to get somebody in here. Until we have someone who's come in and said, here's what's needed in room 207 or room 272 or whatever, or that we need new drapes in the old Supreme Court Room, we're kind of spinning our wheels. So that would be my motion if that's proper at this time. 

 

Representative DeAnn Vaught I've got a second. So I've gotta motion and a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing no discussion, all in favor say aye. Opposed, no. Motion passes. So Senator Hammer and I will get with them and then we'll call another meeting once we get all the information put together if that works for everybody. Well, thanks for being here. We're adjourned.