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Sammy Raycraft:
Representative Stetson Painter joins us from Little Rock this afternoon. Stetson, it’s been another busy week for the legislature.
Rep. Stetson Painter:
Yes, and you know it’s been a busy session in total you know close to 100 bills have been signed into law this session alone and this week you know we had some several good bills to come by. The first one the house passed HB 1437. This bill bans level three and level four sex offenders from coming within 100 feet of waterparks, swimming areas, children playgrounds, and other public parks. So really happy that Representative Duffield out of Russellville ran that bill; was really proud to support that.
Also the house passed SB 214, this bill add second-degree murder to the list of offenses that are ineligible for furlough for good behavior. That’s another good bill.
Additionally, the house passed HB 1258, which creates a community health worker act and establishes a statewide certification for community health workers.
Also SB 137 was also passed enabling healthcare providers to store medical records electronically.
And then, kinda going that same route, SB 50 was approved. This is a legislative study that the legislature is gonna do on workforce and social services reform. So, that came out of there today.
And then also finally the bill SB 213, it’s the ‘Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies’ act. It expands healthcare access for pregnant women, which the governor, I believe, is gonna sign that tomorrow. But then next week we kinda have a higher education bill that’s gonna be huge, it’s called the ‘Arkansas Access Act’ it’s expected to be her education committee, which is a committee I sit on, within the next couple of weeks.
Raycraft:
Well, of course, the governor assigned a couple of those things you guys have been working on just this week cell phones, and school lunches.
Rep. Painter:
Yeah, and I’m gonna tell you very happy to sit on the education committee with both of those bills came through. Very happy to be a co-sponsor and help work on the free breakfast program for every student in school. That’s, you know, a child should not go to school and worry about anything else but their studies and if we can help take care of their food, then let’s do that. So proud to do that. Good friend of mine representative Zack Gramlet for Fort Smith was the house sponsor and I just appreciate his hard work all that.
And then the cell phones, you know appreciate the two sponsors Senator Dees, representative Eubanks for working with me. I was a little concerned about some stuff in the bill, they went back, they amended the bill letting school districts have the option to let their students have cell phones if they want to during, you know, different celebratory times you know like homecoming events, pageants whatever may be, they can do that and the school will allow it and some other local control and also expand the emergencies where students could have their phones like tornadoes, active shooter, those kind of things, and so it’s a good deal and overall mental health was the key at the legislative intent of that bill and hopefully with this bill being enacted, we could start helping the mental health with our kids
Raycraft:
Well, I know on the educator side, I’ve spoken with a few teachers and even high school and public school administrators who see this is a real benefit for social development for students.
Rep. Painter:
100%. I had tons of calls from folks across the state in the education system and they were really excited. You know at the end of the day I think we may we may not agree on how to get there but we agree on the outcome and keeping our kids safe in the mental health and so I think of this as a win-win will probably one day. Maybe you need to tweak it like everything else we do down here, nothing’s perfect, but this is a great, great start and making sure our students are going to school. They’re going there to learn not worrying about the 80 million notifications they’re getting all the time and also it’s gonna help their mental health and also be able to communicate with each other without using a cell phone.
Raycraft:
Something we take for granted to account from our older age.
Rep. Painter:
Yes, sometimes you know I love my phone, but man it’s nice to go out on the farm and go out on the lake and not have to worry about answering my phone
Raycraft:
Tell me, go a little more in depth with me about the work you guys are doing for pregnant mothers.
Rep. Painter:
So yeah, so they help your mom’s healthy babies act that is kind of expanding the healthcare for pregnant women. It’s talking about postpartum and so forth the access more health safe guards, especially for folks that don’t have that access. Now it’s gonna open to everybody and so that’s that’s a big deal in Arkansas is last unfortunately in maternal health and so hopefully with this bill will be able to climb the ranks and it actually help folks, help her babies, help our mothers out.
Raycraft:
You were talking in the beginning about a bill you guys were working on to limit the access for sex offenders to get near those public spaces where children are what what’s the where is that currently stand? Is there a current stand on that that is just a smaller radius?
Rep. Painter:
So right now this is gonna do 100 feet and so this is kind of a little bit more teeth for level three level and four sex offenders. I think it was back in 2017, if I remember correctly, former representative Jack Fortner ran something similar. This kind of expands that to waterpark, swimming areas and so forth. It gives law enforcement a little bit more teeth.
Raycraft:
Currently, I’m guessing there’s not clear language on the specific locations…
Rep. Painter:
correct and there’s been some confusion out there in the law-enforcement community and this bill helps tighten that up
Raycraft:
Very good, very good. OK and then touching back a little bit. I think you mentioned there’s a something you’re working on in social reforms kinda go little deeper on me like what are the goals you guys are looking to accomplish with that.
Rep. Painter:
So it’s a legislative study so there’s gonna be a group. So when we do a legislative study, we have to get permission for both chambers to do that and it’s gonna be a group of reps and senators to work together on finding out what this legislative study needs to do as far as workforce and social services reform. I don’t have all the details on it yet cause we just got the permission to start it. But I’m sure I’ll be a part of that process to help on that legislative study and maybe later we could talk more detail about that.
Raycraft:
Sounds good well, it’s been a busy week for you guys, what was the highlight for you this week something specific?
Rep. Painter
Highlight for me is the ‘Healthy Babies and Healthy Moms’ Act. I think just helping folks out and trying to help folks out. You know, we’re last in maternal health so if we could do that and raise that we can get more people access to care that I’m excited about that and that’s probably the highlight of my week and the next highlight of my week is to kinda have a quiet weekend before session hits again on Monday and session is fixed to ramp up heavy. We have a lot, a lot of stuff still to work through especially in a healthcare we’ve got some county jail stuff that we need to work through prison reform you know some other stuff so the agenda is still pretty lengthy. But excited that at the end of the day, get to represent the people of District 3.
Raycraft:
Very good, and of course you missed out on most of all the winter weather. I’m guessing down in Little Rock. We had quite the rock up here.
Rep. Painter:
You did, you know… you guys at least at one time I think they were calling for a foot back home of snow.
Raycraft:
Glad that didn’t really happen.
Rep. Painter:
And you know, glad that didn’t happen. We got a lot of sleet during the week down here in a Little Rock, some freezing rain. It was slippery. We know there was a thought that we might know a session out you know, adjourn and head back home but the speaker and pro temp of the Senate asked a lot of us if we were willing to stay down here and you know continue to legislate, and we decided that we can do that and so that the weather didn’t keep us from legislating so.
Raycraft:
Well, I think you guys must be doing some extra work down there cause it’s gonna be in the 60’s this week so you must’ve legislated us an early spring so we’re looking forward to that
Rep. Painter:
We’ve already had one a couple of three snowstorms back at home; I’m already over it. I’m ready for spring, I’m not ready for summer yet; I’m not ready for the hundred degree temperatures but I’m ready for spring. I’m ready to get back on bulls in Norfork Lake, and do a little fishing and having a little quiet time.
Raycraft:
Very good sir thank you for your time.
Rep. Painter:
Thank you guys, appreciate you.
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