Sen. Jamie Scott, D-North Little Rock, presents a resolution to the Senate Education Committee on Jan. 27, 2025. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)
The third week of Arkansas’ 95th General Assembly saw a slight increase in action as committees considered more bills. New legislation continued to be filed, including one bill touted by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at a mental health event Wednesday that would make good on her promise to ban cellphones in public schools.
Supporters of Senate Bill 142 said it would help students better focus on their education and address a root cause of the decline in children’s mental health — unrestricted access to social media.
The bill would require districts’ phone policies to include exemptions for health reasons, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), extracurricular activities and emergencies.
1) Diversity and division
Echoing conversations at the federal level, Arkansas lawmakers this week engaged in discussions around diversity, equity and inclusion, beginning with an Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus meeting Monday focused on Walmart rolling back its DEI initiatives.
Company officials said they remain committed to creating a culture of “belonging” for associates, and insisted bullying and harassment would not be tolerated. Black lawmakers questioned if they could again count on the global retailer’s support against Senate Bill 3, which mirrors a 2023 bill to “end state-sponsored discrimination.” Lawmakers noted Walmart’s opposition to the 2023 bill, but officials said the company had no position on SB 3.
Again sponsored by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, SB 3 targets diversity-related initiatives and would, among other things, amend a scholarship designed to attract qualified minority teachers to the Delta, a rural area with a significant Black population and a known teacher shortage.
Despite concerns presented in committee and on the Senate floor, the full Senate approved the bill Wednesday, which will likely be considered by a House committee next week.
2) Prison pushback
The Arkansas Senate confirmed more than three dozen governor-nominated members to state boards and commissions Tuesday, with the only opposition directed at a former Republican lawmaker who now works for a Little Rock lobbying firm.
Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, requested that the Senate vote separately on Grant Hodges’ appointment to the Board of Corrections. King argued the former state representative from Centerton wasn’t qualified for the position. Two other Republicans joined King in voting against Hodges’ appointment, which passed on a voice vote.
Arkansas Senate confirms ex-lawmaker to state prison board over one member’s objection
King, who’s been a vocal opponent of the state’s plan to construct a 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County, announced during a press conference Thursday morning that he filed six pieces of legislation related to public safety.
“We’ve had a series of soft-on-crime bills, catch-and-release bills, and we’ve had a consistent pattern of underfunding corrections and public safety,” King said. “What’s happened today is it’s created a three-headed monster — we have a high incarceration rate, we have a high crime rate and we have a high prison overcrowding rate.”
Senate Bill 143 proposes transfering $100,000 from sales tax collections to Arkansas State Police for crime reduction and prevention programs, and to assist the Division of Community Correction in the provision of probation, parole and post-release supervision services. Senate Bill 145 would require money the state receives from lawsuits concerning funds from the General Improvement Fund or its successor be used for the same purposes.
Senate Bill 144 would allow counties to enter into an “inmate close-to-home partnership” to construct or expand a facility for a shared county jail to house inmates awaiting transfer to the Division of Correction. At least one county must be one of the eight that contribute the most inmates to the Division of Corrections’ total population.
Senate Joint Resolutions 7 and 8 propose amending the Arkansas Constitution concerning medical marijuana and casino gaming, respectively. SJR 6 would allow proceeds from the sale of medical marijuana and casino gaming to support crime reduction and recidivism initiatives.
King’s hope is to increase public safety by lowering the number of people going to jail and the recidivism rate, but that will take money, he said.
3) New bills
Arkansas lawmakers filed more than 200 new bills and resolutions this week, including:
House Bill 1243 from Rep. Kendon Underwood, R-Cave Springs, aims to increase transparency with campaign contributions and expenditures.
House Bill 1280 by Rep. Mindy McAlindon, R-Centerton, would prohibit state agencies from using public funds to purchase promotional items made in China. McAlindon’s House Bill 1323 would limit the investment of Arkansas’ pension and retirement system funds in entities “closely connected” with China and its governing party.
House Bill 1283 by Rep. Julie Mayberry, R-Hensley, would require the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to establish K-12 digital media standards.
House Bill 1297 by Rep. Lee Johnson, R-Greenwood, would regulate the use of artificial intelligence, algorithms and other automated technologies by healthcare insurers.
4) An abbreviated appreciation
An amusing quirk of the Legislature is the duty of Rep. Stephen Meeks, a Greenbrier Republican and most senior House member, to rattle off a procedural list (ala an auctioneer) at the end of each House session before lawmakers can formally adjourn.
That tradition came to an end Thursday, when his colleagues approved updated House rules allowing him to declare an abbreviated version from now on.
In case you hadn’t had the chance to enjoy this in person, you can see his final (at least for now) lengthy proclamation here at the 2:33 p.m. mark.
No legislative meetings are scheduled for Friday, but lawmakers will resume their work on Monday. You can find an updated schedule of meetings and agendas on the Arkansas Legislature’s website.
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