Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SR75 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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3	3	State of Arkansas 1
4	4	95th General Assembly 2
5	5	Regular Session, 2025 SR 75 3
6	6	4
7	7	By: Senators Hester, K. Hammer, J. Boyd, J. Bryant, Caldwell, A. Clark, Crowell, B. Davis, Dees, J. 5
8	8	Dismang, J. Dotson, J. English, Flippo, S. Flowers, Gilmore, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, B. Johnson, M. Johnson, 6
9	9	B. King, G. Leding, F. Love, M. McKee, R. Murdock, J. Payton, C. Penzo, J. Petty, Rice, J. Scott, Stone, 7
10	10	G. Stubblefield, D. Sullivan, C. Tucker, D. Wallace 8
11	11	9
12	12	10
13	13	SENATE RESOLUTION 11
14	14	TO HONOR SYLVIA ANN HINDSMAN CORNWELL FOR HER 12
15	15	EXEMPLARY, DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE SENATE AND TO THE 13
16	16	STATE OF ARKANSAS. 14
17	17	15
18	18	16
19	19	Subtitle 17
20	20	TO HONOR SYLVIA ANN HINDSMAN CORNWELL 18
21	21	FOR HER EXEMPLARY, DEDICATED SERVICE TO 19
22	22	THE SENATE AND TO THE STATE OF ARKANSAS. 20
23	23	21
24	24	WHEREAS, in a remote corner in a basement office at the Arkansas 22
25	25	Capitol, an entire wall is lined with shelves filled with Senate journals 23
26	26	bound in red leather that contain an accurate, official, and complete history 24
27	27	of Senate activity, and every volume of the past forty -five (45) years has 25
28	28	been compiled by Sylvia Ann Hindsman Cornwell and her staff; and 26
29	29	27
30	30	WHEREAS, Ann worked with one hundred ninety -three (193) senators over 28
31	31	the course of her career; and 29
32	32	30
33	33	WHEREAS, over those forty -five (45) years, Ann was the leader in 31
34	34	modernizing the Senate journal and all official Senate records from ink and 32
35	35	paper to electronic and digital; and 33
36	36	34
37	37	WHEREAS, Ann is the first female to be Secretary of the Senate and to 35
38	38	serve as its director; and 36 SR75
39	39
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41	41	1
42	42	WHEREAS, Ann’s achievements were recognized on a national level when in 2
43	43	2002 she was named president of the American Society of Legislative Clerks 3
44	44	and Secretaries; and 4
45	45	5
46	46	WHEREAS, Ann has worked for the Senate from the Seventy -Third General 6
47	47	Assembly in 1981 through the Ninety -Fifth General Assembly in 2025 for a 7
48	48	total of twenty-three (23) General Assemblies; and 8
49	49	9
50	50	WHEREAS, Ann began her career at the Senate in 1981 as the journal 10
51	51	clerk, became the assistant Secretary of the Senate during the 1991 regular 11
52	52	session, served as the assistant secretary and fiscal officer of the Senate 12
53	53	during the 1993 regular session, and became the full -time Secretary and 13
54	54	fiscal officer of the Senate during the 1995 regular session; and 14
55	55	15
56	56	WHEREAS, Ann became Secretary of the Senate and coordinator of 16
57	57	legislative services during the 2007 regular session and has been serving as 17
58	58	the director and Secretary of the Senate since the 2009 regular session; and 18
59	59	19
60	60	WHEREAS, Ann has served Arkansas outside of her Senate duties, devoting 20
61	61	her expertise and time to several endeavors such as the Mansion Advisory 21
62	62	Council, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Capitol Arts and 22
63	63	Grounds Commission, and the Junior League of North Little Rock as President 23
64	64	of the Sustainers; and 24
65	65	25
66	66	WHEREAS, Ann received the National Conference of State Legislatures 26
67	67	2011 Legislative Staff Achievement Award from the American Society of 27
68	68	Legislative Clerks and Secretaries, the American Legislative Exchange Council 28
69	69	2008 Volunteer of the Year Award, and other awards for her accomplishments 29
70	70	and outstanding leadership during her tenure as president of the American 30
71	71	Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries and throughout her career; and 31
72	72	32
73	73	WHEREAS, Ann is a 2011 graduate of the Henry Toll Fellowship Program 33
74	74	sponsored by the Conference of State Governments and served on the CSG Annual 34
75	75	Meeting Committee and the Suggested State Legislation Committee, and she was 35
76	76	active with the Southern Legislative Council’s Legislative Service Agency 36 SR75
77	77
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79	79	Directors, serving as a member of the Southern Legislative Conference Host 1
80	80	Committee; and 2
81	81	3
82	82	WHEREAS, Ann is active with the National Conference of State 4
83	83	Legislatures and its staff section, the American Society of Legislative 5
84	84	Clerks and Secretaries, and twice in her career, Ann served on the Executive 6
85	85	Committee of NCSL and the NCSL Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee, and 7
86	86	she is a past member of the Mason’s Manual Revision Commission, where she 8
87	87	served two (2) terms totaling twenty (20) years; and 9
88	88	10
89	89	WHEREAS, throughout the decades, Ann has ensured that senators and 11
90	90	staff were always promptly and adequately reimbursed for millions of airline 12
91	91	miles, thousands of hotel stays, and countless meals when they made trips to 13
92	92	attend NCSL, SLC, ALEC, and other conferences; and 14
93	93	15
94	94	WHEREAS, Ann, a native of Russellville, is a loving mother, 16
95	95	grandmother, and great -grandmother, a loving wife of her favorite dance 17
96	96	partner, the late Gilbert Cornwell, and a loving daughter of Sam and Mary Lou 18
97	97	Hindsman, who both were groundbreaking sportsmen; and 19
98	98	20
99	99	WHEREAS, Ann’s enthusiastic love of all sports, especially the Arkansas 21
100	100	Razorbacks, is a well -known fact of life at stadiums and arenas across 22
101	101	Arkansas; and 23
102	102	24
103	103	WHEREAS, early in her career, Ann learned from Secretary of the Senate 25
104	104	Lee Reaves and Secretary Hal Moody, and later worked with the Senate’s 26
105	105	permanent staff of Bill Lancaster and Bill Goodman, chiefs of staff; Steve 27
106	106	Cook and Philip Treat, counsels; Billy Tarpley, Bill Darling, and John Reed, 28
107	107	information officers; William Parks and Lee Pippins, properties officers; 29
108	108	Eileen Pollock, Debbie Daniels, Heather Kizer, Tonya Thomas, Mary Jacks, 30
109	109	Tammy Young, Janice Nelson, Anna Pridmore, and Rebecca Barfield, 31
110	110	administrative assistants; Melissa Mylym and Lesley Rogers, directors of 32
111	111	constituent services; Shannon Ahlbrandt, Estella Smith, Sandy Furrer, Pat 33
112	112	Williams, Barrett Dudley, Eva McKinney, and Leigh Ann Golden -Smith, 34
113	113	constituent services advisors; Phyllis Hearne, Katie Drummond, Heather 35
114	114	Bailey, Ann Scott, Angie Clingmon -Reed, and Tamara Lewis, fiscal officers; 36 SR75
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117	117	Cindy Herron, assistant information officer; Rob Hatfield, production manager 1
118	118	and videographer; and with Sabrina Lewellen, who like Ann has done some of 2
119	119	everything and is now deputy director and assistant secretary; and 3
120	120	4
121	121	WHEREAS, Ann worked with a veritable “Who’s Who” of senators in 5
122	122	Arkansas government, beginning in the 1980s when she worked with “Max and 6
123	123	Knox,” more formally known as Max Howell and Knox Nelson; during the 1990s 7
124	124	when she worked with the “Young Golfers,” led by Mike Beebe, Morril Harriman, 8
125	125	Bill Gwatney, David Malone, Jay Bradford, and Jon Fitch; and during the early 9
126	126	2000s when she worked with the “Brotherhood” led by Bob Johnson, Steve Faris, 10
127	127	Randy Laverty, Jerry Bookout, Shawn Womack, and Gilbert Baker; and 11
128	128	12
129	129	WHEREAS, Ann served during the terms of Governors Bill Clinton, Frank 13
130	130	White, Jim Guy Tucker, Mike Huckabee, Mike Beebe, Asa Hutchinson, and Sarah 14
131	131	Huckabee Sanders; and 15
132	132	16
133	133	WHEREAS, Ann advised lieutenant governors as they presided over the 17
134	134	Senate: Winston Bryant, Jim Guy Tucker, Mike Huckabee, Winthrop P. 18
135	135	Rockefeller, Bill Halter, Mark Darr, Tim Griffin, and Leslie Rutledge; and 19
136	136	20
137	137	WHEREAS, Ann worked with senators who served as president pro tempore: 21
138	138	Ben Allen, Bill Moore, John Bearden, Paul Benham, Nick Wilson, Bud Canada, 22
139	139	Jerry Bookout, Jerry Jewell, Stanley Russ, Wayne Dowd, Jay Bradford, Mike 23
140	140	Beebe, Jim Hill, Jim Argue, Jack Critcher, Bob Johnson, Paul Bookout, Michael 24
141	141	Lamoureux, Jonathan Dismang, Jim Hendren, Jimmy Hickey, Jr., and Bart Hester; 25
142	142	and 26
143	143	27
144	144	WHEREAS, Ann worked closely with leadership at the Bureau of 28
145	145	Legislative Research, including Larry Holifield and Jim Schratz and Bureau of 29
146	146	Legislative Research directors Marcus Halbrook, Kern Treat, Tony Minicozzi, 30
147	147	David Ferguson, and Marty Garrity; leadership at Legislative Audit, including 31
148	148	Charles L. Robinson, Roger Norman, and Kevin White; and leadership at the 32
149	149	House of Representatives, including Chief Clerks Jo Renshaw and Sherri 33
150	150	Stacks, parliamentarians Tim Massanelli, Buddy Johnson, and John Vines, and 34
151	151	chiefs of staff Bill Stovall and Roy Ragland; and 35
152	152	36 SR75
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155	155	WHEREAS, Ann developed strong relationships with senators who moved on 1
156	156	to other positions throughout state and federal government: Vic Snyder and 2
157	157	Mike Ross to Congress; Phil Wyrick, Jack Gibson, Jon Fitch and Steve Bryles, 3
158	158	directors of Livestock and Poultry; Jay Bradford, insurance commissioner; 4
159	159	Bruce Holland, director of Livestock and Poultry and executive director of 5
160	160	the Natural Resources Commission; Johnny Key, education commissioner; George 6
161	161	Hopkins, director of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System; Steve Faris, 7
162	162	member of the Lottery Commission; Cliff Hoofman, appointed to the Supreme 8
163	163	Court, and Shawn Womack, elected to the Supreme Court; Gunner DeLay, circuit 9
164	164	judge; Bobby Glover, member of the Board of Corrections; Jim Luker, director 10
165	165	of the Health Services Permit Agency; Jim Scott, director of the Bureau of 11
166	166	Standards; Bill Gwatney, chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party; and Doyle 12
167	167	Webb, chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party; and 13
168	168	14
169	169	WHEREAS, Ann managed the delicate responsibility of being the boss of 15
170	170	session staff who were spouses of senators, such as Hope Bell, Ann Benham, 16
171	171	Gladys Watson, Juanita Moore, Nina Cassady, Linda Taylor, Candace Jeffries, 17
172	172	Cynthia Jeffress, Rita Kinard, Peggy Roebuck, Artimeze Edwards, Nina Russ, 18
173	173	Joan Cash, Sue Cooper, Ginger Cheatham, Deborah Wyatt, Vickie Critcher, Jo 19
174	174	Lindsey, DeLona Williams, Emry Chesterfield, and Mandy Dismang; and 20
175	175	21
176	176	WHEREAS, Ann trained an expert and dedicated front line of workers who 22
177	177	carried out chamber operations, including Marilyn Matthias, Carolyn Porter, 23
178	178	Bettye Ruth Morris, Penny Wolf, Mary Chris Burrow, Lori Dowd, Mark Hudson, 24
179	179	Sharon Parker, Quinton Smith, Sarah Agee, Shawn Key, Greg Bradford, Donna 25
180	180	Myers, Missie Smith, and Jo Ann Drew; and 26
181	181	27
182	182	WHEREAS, Ann worked with and became friends with session staffers in 28
183	183	the Journal Room, also known as “heaven,” the Engrossing Room, the Bill Room, 29
184	184	the Quiet Room kitchen, and the Page Desk: Sybil Gwatney, Jo Price, Linda 30
185	185	Goss, Dee Milton, Anne Rolleigh, Nancy Harmon, Katie Drummond, Phyllis 31
186	186	Hearne, Mary Allen, Jan Murphy, Cleo Mattox, Dottie Walker, Diane Hudson, 32
187	187	Ruth Morley, Lynn Benham, Janet Tate, Deanne Welch, Stacia Epps, Martha 33
188	188	Faulkner, Debbie Foster, Pat Barnett, Don Nelms, Joe Molinaro, Sharon Ursery, 34
189	189	Beverly Moore, Ron Maxwell, Judy Trice, Barbara Johnston, Joan Ratton, Joyce 35
190	190	Woodson, Imogene White, Rosemary Robinson, Connie Harkins, Judy Smithson, 36 SR75
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193	193	Nancy Dunlap, Cynthia Hass, and Sallie Graves; as well as Billie Cornwell, 1
194	194	who married a cousin of Ann’s husband, Gilbert; Becky Kennedy, Ann’s sister; 2
195	195	Tommie Zwernemann, Ann’s cousin; and Mary Lou Hindsman, Ann’s mother; and 3
196	196	4
197	197	WHEREAS, for every legislative session, Ann recruited a gallant band of 5
198	198	sergeants at arms, including J.R. Teague, Orlie Parker, Tom Miller, Leroy 6
199	199	Boaz, Boots Herndon, Sam Konecny, Floyd Burns, Earl Bentley, Dan Nall, Ralph 7
200	200	Shelby, Benny Finch, Ted Fotioo, Vince Bond, Alvernon Rogers, Frank 8
201	201	Witherspoon, Fletcher Sullards, Joe Clements, Larry Lowe, and Coach Harold 9
202	202	Steelman; and 10
203	203	11
204	204	WHEREAS, for forty-five (45) years, Ann Cornwell has been the heart and 12
205	205	soul of the Senate because of her dedication to the institution and its 13
206	206	processes, loyalty to the first branch of government, unmatched work ethic, 14
207	207	affection for each senator, and support of Senate and legislative staff; and 15
208	208	16
209	209	WHEREAS, Ann Cornwell’s tenure as Secretary of the Senate has included 17
210	210	sixteen (16) regular sessions, eight (8) fiscal sessions, and twenty (20) 18
211	211	extraordinary sessions of the General Assembly; she has left her unique 19
212	212	imprint on the traditions, protocol, atmosphere, efficiency, and 20
213	213	effectiveness of the Senate, and her contributions will be recorded in every 21
214	214	future history of the chamber, 22
215	215	23
216	216	NOW THEREFORE, 24
217	217	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE 25
218	218	STATE OF ARKANSAS: 26
219	219	27
220	220	THAT the Senate honor Sylvia Ann Hindsman Cornwell for her exemplary, 28
221	221	dedicated service to the Senate and to the State of Arkansas. 29
222	222	30
223	223	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT upon adoption, a copy of this resolution be 31
224	224	presented to Ann Cornwell, Director of the Senate and Secretary of the 32
225	225	Senate, by the Assistant Secretary of the Senate and the Members of the 33
226	226	Senate of the Ninety -Fifth General Assembly. 34
227	227	35
228	228	36