House Transportation Committee
February 4, 2025
Representative Mike Holcomb Chair sees a quorum. Thank you for being here today. We're going to run two bills this morning. I think, first of all, Senate Bill 16. Representative Painter? Yes, sir. Excuse me. I got that wrong. Representative Rose, you're recognized. You may sit there and proceed.
Representative Ryan Rose Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee, Representative Ryan Rose, District 48. Van Buren, Fort Smith. Senate Bill 16 is an act to amend the law concerning the discharge of a firearm at a train. And we are modernizing Arkansas Code 23-12-804 more or less to address the discharge of firearms, throwing objects at trains, streetcars or locomotives. And this bill updates penalties to reflect inflation since the law's original passage in 1893 and aligns enforcement with modern standards while retaining prosecutorial discretion for more minor incidents.
The long and short of it, the fine for this crime originally was $25 to $250. And we're just aligning it with a Class A misdemeanor. And it's actually significantly less of a fine in comparison to what that fine would be worth adjusted for inflation today. This originated from recommendations by the Game & Fish subcommittee and the Second Amendment Task Force, which was tasked with reviewing all firearm related statutes in Arkansas. And the task force determined that updating these penalties and reclassifying the offense as a Class A misdemeanor was appropriate for this statute at this time. I'm open to any questions.
Representative Mike Holcomb All right. Thank you. Any questions from committee members? I don't see any. That's too easy. Excuse me. Representative Hall. Hold on a minute. Push the button again.
Representative Brad Hall We on? Okay. How often do people actually shoot at trains or throw objects at them?
Representative Ryan Rose That's a great question. It is a more rare offense like shooting at an airplane or shooting at a bus, some of these other laws that are similar things that are illegal. Just in the last few years, I don't have too much data in Arkansas, but around the country, you can look up incidents from Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, California.
There's one incident where three trains in Pennsylvania in a close period of time were shot at, had objects thrown at them. And it ended up in the derailment of one. Some people died. So it's an awful thing. Doesn't happen very often. And all that this is doing is aligning the code to be appropriate for today's time, the misdemeanor, the fines. And obviously to be as good a deterrent as it possibly could be. Still a law worth having on the books and just making sure that it's current.
Representative Mike Holcomb Thank you. Any other questions? Okay. Seeing none, I didn't see anyone signed up on the list. Anyone there to speak for or against the bill? Seeing none, Representative Rose, you're recognized to close for your bill.
Representative Ryan Rose Yeah, I'd just like to say thank you, committee. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know that it's pretty straightforward. We're just changing a little bit of language just to bring this to be current. And that's the way our law should be reflected. They should be modern and match the times. And that's all that this is doing at this time.
Representative Mike Holcomb Thank you. Representative Carr, you're recognized.
Representative Joey Carr Thank you, Mr. Chair. Motion at the proper time.
Representative Mike Holcomb We have a motion. Any discussion on the bill? Representative Whitaker, did you have something? Okay. Any discussion on the bill? No discussion. All in favor say aye. All opposed say aye. Hearing none, congratulations, your bill passed.
Representative Ryan Rose Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Committee. Y'all have a good one.
Representative Mike Holcomb Okay. Now Representative Painter. And I think you have an amendment with your bill. We'll hear the amendments. Give us just a second to get it passed out before you begin. I'm not sure you can get this amendment through.
Representative Stetson Painter I don't know about that. Yeah, you're really right, Mr. Chair. Be probably the hardest thing we'll do all day.
Representative Mike Holcomb Okay. Committee, this is Senate Bill 45. First of all, we have an amendment. Representative Painter.
Representative Stetson Painter Good thing, Mr. Chairman, Committee. Representative Stetson Painter, District 3. Baxter County and Fulton Counties. This amendment right here is just adding me as a House sponsor working with Senator Wallace. Senator Wallace forgot to add me as the House sponsor, so we're taking care of it on our end. That's it. I'll be glad to take any questions.
Representative Mike Holcomb Seeing none, I need a motion from the committee. I have a motion from Representative Richmond. Any discussion. All in favor, say aye. Okay. Representative Painter, you can proceed with your bill.
Representative Stetson Painter Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee, senate Bill 45 is probably one of my favorite bills I'm going to be able to work on this session. Unfortunately, we are no longer producing Pearl Harbor survivors. There is only 16 of them left in the entire United States. But we have 20,000 women veterans in this state alone. And every year it's growing. So what this bill does is it's proposing that we retire the Pearl Harbor Survivor license plate and add a license plate for a women veterans in a way to say thank you.
The initial cost of that is $20,000, which would come out of ADVA. That's for the programing. That's for the initial start up. The license plate will be $15. And as a military man myself in the Reserves, that's what I pay for my initial license plate. But the renewal fee for that every year is $1. So a portion of that at first will go to pay the debt off. The leftover will go to women veteran programs. And then once the debt is paid off, that fee and the renewal fee will continue to go to women veterans programs. Other than that, I'd be glad to take any questions.
Representative Mike Holcomb Representative Hawk, you're recognized.
Representative RJ Hawk Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to clarify, we've got one Pearl Harbor survivor left in Arkansas. That person will still be able to get their license plate, correct?
Representative Stetson Painter Yes.
Representative RJ Hawk Thank you.
Representative Mike Holcomb Any other questions from the committee? Seeing none, would you like to close?
Representative Stetson Painter Members, I would just appreciate a good vote. I think it's time that we acknowledge the rest of our veterans. And I think it's time to acknowledge our women veterans that serve alongside us every day and just to say thank you and continue. And it gives them another source of funding that we can't produce, but in this fee, we can. So I appreciate a good vote.
Representative Mike Holcomb Okay. Representative Whitaker, you're recognized.
Representative David Whitaker Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am proud and happy to move do pass.
Representative Mike Holcomb As amended?
Representative David Whitaker As amended.
Representative Mike Holcomb Okay. Motion is recommended that do pass as amended. Any discussion from committee? Seeing none, all in favor, say aye. Opposed, same like sign. Hearing none, congratulations, your bill passed.
Representative Stetson Painter Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, committee.
Representative Mike Holcomb Thank you, committee. That's all we're going to run today. Representative Torres is going to run his bill next week. He's got some minor changes to make. Is there any other business to come before the committee today? If not, we stand adjourned.
