Rep. David Ray

Maddy summaryHJR 1017 proposes a constitutional amendment in Arkansas to change the requirements for state-wide initiated acts and constitutional amendments to become law. Currently, these measures pass with a state-wide majority vote. Under this proposed amendment, they would also need to receive a majority of votes in a majority of the state's counties to be approved. However, an act or measure subject to a state-wide referendum would still be repealed if rejected by a state-wide majority of voters, regardless of county-level results. This amendment, if approved by voters, would take effect on January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1116, known as the Remote and Mobile Work Modernization and Competitiveness Act, aimed to create new regulations for remote and mobile employment. It sought to provide income tax and withholding exemptions for specific remote and mobile employees and nonresidents. The bill intended to reduce tax burdens for these workers, encouraging a more competitive environment for remote work.

Maddy summaryHB 1932 proposed to amend Arkansas laws related to the corporate franchise tax and repeal the Arkansas Corporate Franchise Tax Act of 1979. The bill would have required most corporations and limited liability companies, both domestic and foreign, to file an annual report with the Secretary of State. This report would detail the corporation's condition, status, and other information like officers and stock. While some information in the annual report would be confidential, basic corporate details such as the name, address, and principal officers would be publicly available.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1066 aims to increase the standard deduction available to taxpayers. This legislative change would directly affect individuals and potentially impact their taxable income. By raising the standard deduction, the bill proposes to reduce the portion of income subject to state taxes for those who choose not to itemize deductions.

Maddy summaryHJR 1015 was a proposed constitutional amendment in Arkansas that aimed to change how judicial candidates appear on the ballot. If approved, it would have required candidates for Supreme Court Justice, Court of Appeals Judge, Circuit Judge, and District Judge to declare their political party affiliation or independent status. This declared affiliation or independent status would then be printed on the ballot for voters to see. The stated purpose of the amendment was to ensure transparency regarding judicial candidates' affiliations. This amendment would have taken effect on January 1, 2027, if passed.

Maddy summaryHB 1065, titled "TO CREATE THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT OF 2025," died in the House Committee on Revenue & Taxation on May 5, 2025, without becoming law. The provided bill text contains no substantive policy language or specific mechanisms; it only includes a list of supporting legislators and procedural details. No concrete policy changes, affected groups, or key provisions are described in the available text. As a bill that stalled in committee with no enacted provisions, it did not implement any inflation-related measures. The title appears to be a placeholder, as no actual inflation reduction policy was outlined in the submitted bill.

Maddy summaryHB 1662, titled "TO PROHIBIT LOBBYING FOR A COVERED FOREIGN ENTITY," aimed to prevent individuals or organizations from lobbying on behalf of certain foreign entities. The provided text is an amendment to the bill, which made minor changes to specific wording and references within the original text. Without the full original bill text, the specific definitions of "covered foreign entity" or the detailed mechanisms and scope of the prohibition are not available.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1044 aims to establish the Arkansas Sports Raffle Act. An amendment to the bill introduces a specific rule regarding payment methods for these raffles. It mandates that if a qualifying organization permits credit card payments, each transaction using a credit card will have a maximum limit of $250. This provision directly affects organizations that choose to operate sports raffles and individuals participating in them via credit card. The provided text only includes an amendment, so the full details of the Arkansas Sports Raffle Act are not available.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1804 proposed to amend Arkansas law concerning the state's sales tax, also known as the gross receipts tax. The bill aimed to provide a new sales tax exemption for "utility vegetation line management services." This exemption would apply to services like trimming or removing trees and brush, clearing easements, disposing of wood waste, and applying chemicals within utility substations, easements, or rights-of-way. This change would directly affect businesses providing these services by exempting their gross receipts from the sales tax.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1538 proposed to extend the period during which businesses and taxpayers in Arkansas could use a net operating loss (NOL) to reduce their income tax liability. Currently, if a business's expenses exceed its income, it can "carry forward" that loss to offset taxable income in future years for a set period. This bill aimed to increase the general carry-forward period for these losses from 10 years to 20 years for losses occurring on or after January 1, 2025. It also specifically extended the carry-forward period for certain steel manufacturers and qualified medical companies to 20 years.