From the Director’s Desk

County Lines

County Lines [(ISSN 2576-1137 (print) and ISSN 2576-1145 (online)] is the official publication of the AAC. It is published quarterly. For advertising inquiries, subscriptions or other information, please contact Christy L. Smith at 501.372.7550.

Executive Director/Publisher Chris Villines Communications Director/ Managing Editor Christy L. Smith Communications Coordinator/ Editor Holland Doran

AAC Executive Board:

Debbie Wise – President

Brandon Ellison – Vice President

Jimmy Hart – Secretary-Treasurer Tommy Young Terri Harrison Debra Buckner Dana Baker Kevin Cleghorn Terry McNatt Debbie Cross Brenda DeShields Ellen Foote Doug Curtis Gerone Hobbs Marty Boyd John Montgomery Heather Stevens Randy Higgins

National Association of Counties (NACo) Board Affiliations Debbie Wise: NACo board member. She is

Randolph County Circuit Clerk and president of the AAC Board of Directors. Brandon Ellison: NACo board member. He is

Polk County Judge and vice-president of the

AAC Board of Directors. Ted Harden: Finance & Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee. He is a member of the Jefferson County Quorum Court. David Hudson: Chair of Justice and Public Safety

Steering Committee. He is Sebastian Co. Judge and member of Rural Action Caucus Steering

Committee and IT Standing Committee. Barry Hyde: Justice and Public Safety Steering

Committee. He is the Pulaski County Judge. Rusty McMillon: Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee. He is Greene County Judge Joseph Wood: Community, Economic and

Workforce Development Steering Committee. He is Washington County Judge. Kevin Smith: IT Standing Committee. He is the

Sebastian County Director of Information

Technology Services. Gerone Hobbs: Membership Committee. He is the Pulaski County Coroner. Paul Ellliot: Justice and Public Safety Steering

Committee, vice-chair of law enforcement subcommittee. He is a member of the Pulaski

County Quorum Court. Ellen Foote: Community, Economic & Workforce Development Steering Committee. She is the Crittenden County Tax Collector. Tawanna Brown: Telecommunications & Technology Steering Committe. She is Crittenden

County Chief Computer Operator.

AAC DIRECTOR’S DESK A look at the session, ARP, and a looming labor challenge

Irecall writing in our last issue that this could be a session with an asterisk. Without a doubt, it was. BUT … that asterisk did not apply to the pass/fail rate of Chris Villines proposed county legislation, nor did it apply to some AAC of the metrics by which we normally rate a legislative session. Executive Director

In 2017, there were 2,680 bills filed, with 1,130 becoming Acts. In 2019, 1,864 bills were filed, with 1,091 becoming Acts. The current 2021 session brought us 1,675 bills with 1,112 becoming Acts. While the number of bills filed decreased for the third straight session, the number signed into law has remained steady.

Part of the reason for the reduction in bills filed in the 2021 session is the recent transformation of state government. In the past years, appropriation bills in some cases were filed separately for many different departments. This year saw some of these bills consolidated into fewer pieces of legislation. Also, a reason for the higher number in 2017 was the bill filing deadline. We did not have this deadline in 2019 or 2021. It is counterintuitive, but a bill filing deadline results in a high number of shell bills filed as placeholders in the event a legislator wants to amend and pursue legislation later in the session.

Some other important metrics for our counties are available. In 2017, we tracked 537 bills that would affect county government. In 2019, we tracked 493 bills and in 2021, we tracked 508 bills. In 2017, 2019 and 2021, we saw 263, 254 and 286 bills that affect county government become Acts, respectively.

The most important stat, though, is the track of AAC Legislative Package bills. While data for 2017 is unavailable, I can tell you that for many years we’ve passed these bills at approximately a 90 percent clip. The last two sessions are no different. In 2019, we passed 29 of our 31 filed bills — a 94 percent success rate. Again in 2021, we passed around 94 percent of our package bills, garnering the Governor’s signature on 31 of our 33 package bills.

I attribute our success at the Capitol to several things, but three really stand out. The vetting process of our legislative committee, led by Terry McNatt (Craighead County Treasurer) and the AAC Board of Directors, led by President Debbie Wise (Randolph County Circuit Clerk), run the well-oiled machine that is the AAC legislative process. The vetting among our member associations, followed by the AAC Legislative Committee and then the AAC Board of Directors is incredible. By the time a bill makes it into our legislative package it is looked at front-ways, side-ways, upside down and from the top. Any conflicts with other groups are worked out before the bill is put in final form. Thank you all for the hard work you do on these boards to make this process work.

Secondly, the respect the legislature has for our county officials means they trust bills you put forward. If I heard the “Association of Arkansas Counties” mentioned in the well of the Senate or House one time this session, I heard it a hundred times. Our stamp of approval is valued because legislators trust you guys and know you have reviewed and approved these bills at some point in the process. >>>

Finally, our staff here at the AAC is also well respected. They have earned it. Mark Whitmore, Lindsey French, Josh Curtis and Eddie Jones walk alongside each association as they put needed legislation together. They work with legislators and the Bureau of Legislative Research (BLR) to draft and file these bills. Our team drafts the language in most cases and presents the legislator and BLR with what would be a final, drafted copy. I know this level of detail is appreciated by all and makes for a smoother process.

In addition to our staff that works directly with the legislators, I am proud to work alongside Christy L. Smith and Holland Doran. Their communication skills are impeccable, and you all stay informed through their efforts. You also stay informed by my assistant Anne Baker, who is responsible for getting weekly legislative updates out to you and reported on our website. By the time the session ends, all these folks are worn to a nub, don’t want to ever see a bill again, but instead immediately begin communicating legislation to our member associations.

In the end, this was the longest session I can recall at 107 days. And by the way, it’s not over. It “ended” in a recess so the legislators can return this fall for congressional redistricting. There is much to cover, and we will be attending your association meetings through the summer to bring you up to speed on legislative changes. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call any of us.

With the close of the legislative session, our team has quickly turned our attention to the American Rescue Plan (ARP). In the last few days, we’ve hit two big milestones. First, the money has begun flowing to counties. County Treasurers are in the process of utilizing the U.S. Treasury Department’s website to notify them of the proper bank account to transfer this money to. The total amount of money given to counties for community investments is approximately $580 million — half now and half no less than a year from now.

The second big piece of news was the release of our first round of treasury guidance — a 150-page document called the Interim Final Rule for Fund Guidance. Remember, this will evolve, so we expect clearer guidance over time.

The AAC has been working to put together a panel of ex-

See “DIRECTOR” on Page 42 >>>

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