***********************************************************************************************

HOW AN IDEA BECOMES A LAW: [prepared February 7, 2007]

The FREEDOM TO FARM ACT began as an idea that was presented in August 2006, to Representative Nathan George, who asked Representative Roy Ragland to sponsor the bill. Representative Ragland had Legislative Research prepare a draft, but decided that the bill was too detailed to garner enough votes for passage. ARAPA then prepared a very short revised bill idea. The draft from Legislative Research was revised and Representative Ragland and ARAPA are now working to get a Senate sponsor and co-sponsors for the bill. When Rep. Ragland determines that enough support has been garnered for passage of the FREEDOM TO FARM ACT, the bill will be filed, given a number, and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development.  Amendments may be hitched on to the bill. [Let’s hope not.]

ARAPA members and others will present testimony to the Committee as to why the bill should pass. Others will have an opportunity to present testimony as to why the bill should not pass. The members of the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development will then vote, “do pass,” or, “do not pass.” If the majority vote, “do pass,” the bill will then go to the House floor for a vote. If the Committee majority vote, “do not pass,” the bill is dead.  If the bill passes in the House, it will then go through the same process in the Senate. If it makes it through the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development and the Senate approves the bill, it will then be sent to Governor Beebe for his signature. Once signed it becomes law. Beebe may choose to veto the bill instead of signing it, and it would have to go through the House and Senate voting process again. Once passed, it is no longer a bill but an act and becomes part of Arkansas Code.

HOW CAN YOU DETERMINE WHO IS YOUR SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE?

If you are not on the internet, call your County Clerk and find out who is your Senator and Representative and their contact information. If you have internet access, you can determine your Senate District Number and your Representative District Number by going to: http://www.arkansas.gov/senate/senators.php and http://www.state.ar.us/house/reps.php. Maps will indicate your district. This may not have been updated with the name of your current General Assembly member, so after noting your Senate District Number and House District Number, go to http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us. This is the main site for all information about what is happening at the Capitol. You can click on the email for your General Assembly member. Click on their name to secure their mailing address, phone number, committee memberships, and see what bills they are sponsoring. On this site you can read all bills that have been filed and track bills of interest to you as well as view the calendar and agendas for various committees. 

COMMITTEE MEETING DECORUM

Parking at the Capitol is limited. The parking spaces near the Capitol are reserved for elected officials. You can disembark people at the tunnel and then go park. Arriving before 7:45 AM will usually assure that you can park all day in one of the free government building parking lots without difficulty. In front of the Capitol are many metered two-hour parking spaces that are usually available at any time of day. Take plenty of quarters. Enter the Capitol through the tunnel entrance. Elevators will be to your right. The Senate and House Chambers are on the third floor. You can watch Chamber proceedings from the fourth floor.

Formality is the rule in committee meetings. Gentlemen wear suits and ties and ladies wear pants suits or dresses. Please remove your hats and caps. For safety on the marble steps, sensible shoes should be worn. Cell phones must be turned off or not taken into the meeting rooms. Nothing can be passed out in the meeting room unless approved by the Chairman. If you wish to speak, look for a sign in sheet when you enter the room. You must sign in if you wish to speak. You can always decline to speak if you see that your topic has been covered. You can also release your time to speak to another person. Be brief and to the point. ARAPA members should attend the Committee meeting in force when the Freedom to Farm Act is considered. Meeting rooms are small, so arrive early if you do not want to stand or sit on the floor. Look for an ARAPA member near the door giving out FREEDOM TO FARM STICKERS. We want them to see how much support there is for the FREEDOM TO FARM ACT. Immediately upon completion of the vote on the bill, leave the committee room and gather away from the meeting room door to discuss the outcome. At this time, it would be a good idea to lobby House or Senate members if the bill received a, “do pass.” Flyers supporting FREEDOM TO FARM will be available for you to hand out to General Assembly members. Many General Assembly members use the stairs. When they reach the top, they are often out of breath and ready for an excuse to stand for a few minutes. This is an excellent time to talk to them.

Senators have offices on the 4^th floor and hang out near or in the Senate Chamber. Representatives do not have offices, so they usually hang out in the House Chamber. You can sometimes find them in the basement cafeteria. You are not allowed in either Chamber. If you wish to speak to a certain General Assembly member, there are staffers outside the Chamber doors. Write your message and the name of the General Assembly member on the paper they provide. They will enter the Chamber and contact the General Assembly member, who will come out to visit with you if the Chamber is not in session. By checking the various committee agendas, you can determine exactly where any General Assembly member is who is in a committee meeting. You can usually visit with them as they arrive for a committee meeting or as they leave a committee meeting. You can often schedule an appointment. Many times, you must walk and talk as they move to another location. Be brief and to the point. Lobbying is quite an experience. After about the second week of the session, most members stop wearing their identification tags. Memorizing their picture from the web site or carrying pictures with you makes recognition much easier.

Smile and keep your message short and simple. Do not get into a confrontation. Keep everything positive.

********************************************************************************************