State Capitol Week in Review

From Senator Jonathan Dismang

LITTLE ROCK –

HB1028. This bill replaces the term “child pornography” with the term “child sexual abuse material” in Arkansas code. This is the term used by several states and by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Close to 170 bills have been filed in the House so far. More than 70 bills have been filed in the Senate. We will continue to update you on developments throughout the session. You can watch all committee meetings and House floor proceedings at arkansashouse.org

E ntergy says prep for winter weat h er

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. –

Entergy Arkansas is staging crews, equipment and supplies in areas of the state likely to be the hardest hit in the coming days based on a forecast for sleet, freezing rain, and ice accumulations. In the event of power outages, the local workforce consisting of scouts, vegetation crews, linemen and more is prepared to begin restoration as quickly as they can safely do so. Additional resources from other mutual assistance energy companies have also been requested. Extra weight on power lines caused by ice can cause them to fall or stretch, possibly causing power interruptions.

While Entergy Arkansas manages growth of trees and bushes near electrical equipment, one half-inch of ice can increase the weight of a tree limb as much as 30 times, causing even smaller limbs to bend or snap, falling onto power lines and causing an outage.

Additionally, wet and icy roads can make travel hazardous for crews. In the event of power outages, crews will begin assessing damages, then repairing equipment and restoring power as quickly as it is safe to do so.

Customers should prepare now

It’s important to be prepared at your home or business for freezing weather and possible power outages with a basic emergency supply kit, along with a family emergency plan. Act now to winterize your home or business with some simple steps like insulating water pipes, caulking and weather-stripping doors and windows, and ensuring fire extinguishers are ready for use.

Arkansas was plunged into sub-freezing temperatures the last two winters at about this same time, causing scattered power outages. Entergy continually reviews its data and processes and indentifies ways to be more prepared for prolonged freezes.

Each of the company’s power plants has a customized plan to support fleetwide winter preparedness efforts, including:

•Insulating critical equipment using improved methods and materials to protect them from lower temperatures.

•Insulating all piping, with the potential for standing water during normal operation, to prevent freezing.

•Designing and building permanent windbreaks or enclosures to protect pumps and other critical equipment.

•Exploring the use of wireless instrument line monitoring systems to monitor temperatures of critical equipment.

*Other efforts to prepare and maintain critical systems and infrastructure across the grid in advance of colder temperatures also included:

*Inspecting and testing equipment that can be impacted by extreme cold such as gas-filled circuit breakers.

*Ensuring the readiness of assets that provide electric service to critical gas infrastructure and other points of delivery that are vital to support generation reliability and resiliency.

*Inspecting and maintaining substations and transmission lines that are critical to Bulk Electric System reliability.

Stay informed in several ways

An important part of weathering a severe storm includes staying informed before, during and after an event. To stay current on our preparations and restoration efforts:

•Download the Entergy app here. Customers can use the app to report outages or check on the status of power at their through good behavior; it would not be guaranteed merely by serving a portion of their sentence. The bill would create incentives for inmates to complete rehabilitation programs. One challenge the sponsors must address is that about 1,700 inmates are being held in county jails in an average month while they wait for available space to open in a state prison unit. consider proposals to add prison space. The question is how many more beds to build, and how many of the new beds will be for violent and dangerous offenders. home or business.

There are many stages in the process of convicting criminals and sentencing them to prison. Senate Bill 2, the “Truth in Sentencing and Parole Reform Act of 2023,” will change many of them.

Currently SB 2 is a shell bill, which means it consists only of the title. That’s because the co-sponsors are still gathering ideas from people in the many areas of law enforcement that will be affected.

•Sign up for text messages about storm and restoration efforts by texting REG to 36778.

•Follow Entergy Arkansas on social media, as it plays an important role in keeping customers informed. Search for @EntergyArk on Facebook and Twitter.

•The Entergy Storm Center website has storm safety, preparation and restoration information that is updated throughout the day.

Safety after the storm

•Restoration in extremely cold conditions may take a little longer, as energizing homes requires a different and methodical process. Rather than simply energizing an entire power line all at once, we must bring customers back online one section at a time to avoid damage to our system thereby worsening the situation.

•In the event power is lost at your home, customers are advised to turn off breakers to major appliances to prevent a spike in demand when power is restored. Turn them back on one at a time when your home is ready to receive power.

•Also, keep refrigerator doors closed but open cabinets that house water pipes. In doing so, food is less likely to spoil, and pipes are less likely to freeze and burst.

•If you choose to use a generator, be sure to follow all manufacturer’s guidelines for safe usage.

Stay away from downed lines

Remember, one-half inch of ice can add 500 pounds of weight on power lines, as well as tree limbs which could then fall onto power lines and people. It’s safest to avoid the area near ice-laden power lines and tree limbs; however, if you see downed or low-hanging lines, stay away, and call 1-8009OUTAGE to report them.

AR Department of Tourism says Start planning your vacation now

National Plan for Vacation Day is January 31, and the the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism is reminding Arkansans that now is the time to plan for vacation.

Studies show that just planning for a trip boosts morale, reduces stress and prevents burnout. National Plan for Vacation Day is a chance to turn that excitement into a vacation reality.

“By planning ahead now, Arkansans can start feeling the joy of looking forward to their next adventure in The Natural State,” said

Travis Napper, director of Arkansas Tourism.

“With so many opportunities within Arkansas, the travel possibilities are endless.”

National Plan for Vacation Day occurs on the last Tuesday in January each year, encouraging Americans to plan their vacation days for the whole year at the start of the year. The idea is simple –taking a trip all starts with a plan.

According to U.S. Travel, nearly half of American households don’t take this simple step and lose out on their time off and the health and emotional

Stakeholders include county sheriffs and police departments, prosecutors, judges, wardens, prison security officers, parole and probation officers, transition programs, victims’ rights advocates, defense attorneys, drug courts, specialty courts, drug treatment programs and alcohol abuse programs.

The reforms will cost money, so SB 2 will have a ripple effect on the other spending categories in state government.

Last year many elected officials listed stronger law enforcement as one of their campaign issues.

In an interview, the Senate sponsor said that a major focus of the bill would be to protect people from repeat violent offenders who are released from prison on parole, sometimes after serving as little as a sixth of their sentence.

Under SB 2 inmates would have to earn their parole eligibility

County jails don’t have the funds or resources for the programs that state prisons can offer, such as treatment for drug abuse and job training. Thus, while inmates are serving time in in a county jail they are not preparing for a productive life after their release.

The measure will lengthen sentences and tighten parole provisions because violent offenders are getting out too soon, the sponsor said. Some inmates don’t participate in job training and drug rehab programs. A strong incentive to participate would be to make it a requirement in order to become eligible for parole.

The legislature will

At the end of 2022 the Department of Correction had more than 17,000 inmates in its jurisdiction. That is an increase of about 3,000 more inmates since 10 years ago, and an increase of about 5,000 inmates since 20 years ago.

In fiscal year 2010 the legislature appropriated $338 million from the state’s general revenue fund to the Correction Department for operating state prisons. Last fiscal year the appropriation was $494 million.

The Senate co-sponsor of SB 2 said that garnering a consensus in support of the bill would depend on its total cost. It probably will be a couple of weeks before the details are finalized. When that happens, the bill will be amended. It will no longer be a shell bill with just a title, but will be “a fairly large piece of legislation.” benefits it brings.

Using vacation days to travel can improve the economy, create jobs and has a positive impact on health and overall wellbeing. In fact, if Americans used all their time off to travel, our economy could see a boost of $151.5 billion in travel spending and an additional 2 million U.S. jobs, says U.S. Travel.

For Arkansas trip itineraries, planning tools and more, visit www.arkansas.com.

To order the 2023 Arkansas Travel Guide, go to www.arkansas.com/publications.

Gaylon Hale

1307 W. 22nd, Stuttgart Feb. 1-2-3-4

9 to 3

Our largest sale ever; 6500 sq ft home including Aileen Brasko large water color ; mahogany Chippendale secretary/bookcase; Persian 10 x 14 Tabriz rug with hand knotted fringe; Queen Anne mahogany dining table with 8 chairs; ball and claw foot mahogany dining table with 6 chairs; large mahogany dinging cabinet; mahogany corner cabinet; exceptional gold mirrors; large mahogany artist easel; 4 mahogany buffets; Art Nouveau fountain on tall pedestal; oil paintings; prints; king br set; twin beds; pr. Queen Anne contemporary table desks; Nutone wall clock doorbell; grandmother floor clock; contemporary student style lamp; dressers and chests; several curio cabinets; ball & claw organ stool; marble top brass credenza table; 9’ bookcase; other bookcases; books; large metal bakers rack; outdoor patio furniture; Franciscan “Ajlpine Meadow” china set; 2 sets German china; vintage green wicker hamper; several white wicker pieces; saloon doors; pr. turned fern stands; pr. folding metal bar stools; library table; tall bath cabinet with louvered doors; nice lamps; park benches; Victorian 5’ bench for king size bed; stereo systems; metal art; bifold screens; armoires; Zettie Jones hummingbird print; Queen Anne walnut round coffee table; white metal coffee table; table cloths; pr yellow sofas; occasional chairs; 5 vintage metal kitchen stools; metal white vintage standing bird cage; mirrored faux windows with shutters; Soft Strider exerciser; white fridge with ice maker; wicker porch chairs; tea carts; Fouton; yellow painted TV armoire; pr. Danish chairs; step stools; taupe corduroy sofa; chrome egg shaped coffee percolators; party clutch bags; Christmas Santa’s and ornaments; Flow blue; 2 sets German dishes; tool shed and much more. Please do not block neighbors drive ways. All sales final. Cash or checks with proper I.D.