LITTLE ROCK — Rep. Richard Carroll of North Little Rock, Arkansas' only Green Party legislator, asked to be a member of the Arkansas Black Legislative Caucus but was rejected because he's white.
On Monday, Carroll participated in a meeting of the caucus at the state Capitol, stating his thoughts on proposed legislation. But there was no name card at his seat, and he wasn't listed on the meeting agenda asa member.
Asked about it after the meeting, Carroll said he wanted to be a member but caucus leaders told him caucus by laws require that members be black.
Caucus Chairman Rep. Nancy Duffy Blount, D-Marianna, likened the situation to a man wanting to be part of the Legislative Women's Caucus.
"With men, there are some things that men can understand and share and there are some things they can't because they're not women," Blount said. "Same thing here."
Carroll represents District 39 in southern and eastern North Little Rock. The historically Democratic district has a black population of 65 percent, according to 2000 census data used to draw the districts in 2001.
He was elected after being the only candidate on the general election ballot in 2008.
The Democratic Party last summer barred the only candidate who filed for the party's nomination because of a prior conviction. No Republican filed.
Carroll, 52, said he wanted to be a caucus member to better represent and understand the views of his constituents. He said he could ask his wife, who is black, for her thoughts, but she would only be one person.
He said the caucus, which has 14 members - four in the Senate, 10 in the House - is letting him participate in the meetings but he can't vote.
"You have to be an elected legislator, and you have to be black," Blount said.
Blount said that in light of Carroll's request caucus members are examining the bylaws to see whether a change in the membership criteria should be made to allow ex-officio or auxiliary members. But she said no change would be made before the end of the legislative session.
The latest bylaws for the caucus on file at the Bureau of Legislative Research give no race requirement for membership.
It says that the membership "shall consist of any current member of the Arkansas General Assembly who pays an annual membership."
But the bureau staff didn't know whether those bylaws were current.
Blount said she didn't know either but she thought they had been changed to include a race requirement.
She said she doesn't have a copy of the bylaws but based her understanding of the membership requirements on "common sense" and from what caucus vice chairman, Sen. Tracy Steele, D-North Little Rock, told her the bylaws said.
Steele later said he had "no idea" what the bylaws said aboutmembership.
"[Carroll is] certainly welcome to come to the meetings to participate," Steele said. "We realize he represents a majority black district."
He said he can remember no previous situation in which a white legislator asked to be a part of the caucus.
Carroll wondered how the caucus "defines black," whether you needed to be a "certain percentage" black.
Blount said, "If you say you are an African-American, we don't go back and do a historical search. We just go on whatever they say they are."
Another caucus member, Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, said Carroll's interest in the caucus is "commendable" but "since it's called the 'black caucus' he can't be a member. It is a caucus defined as being black. All discrimination is not bad. You can discriminate about whether you are going to drink four beers or 10 beers. I would say that's good discrimination."
Elliott said excluding white lawmakers is a legitimate form of discrimination because black legislators need to join with others of "common cause."
Carroll said he didn't see it as a discrimination either.
"It's just that that's their bylaws," he said.
Other caucus members were open to allowing Carroll to be a member.
Sen. Jack Crumbly, D-Widener, said he has "no problem" with Carroll being a full member. He called Carroll a "breath of fresh air."
Rep. Darrin Williams, D-Little Rock, said, "Anyone who has the concerns of the caucus, ought to be a member of the caucus."
But he said he didn't know whether Carroll should be a full member or have some sort ofauxiliary membership instead.
"I'm not sure what the difference really is," Williams said. "Ultimately the vote that counts is the vote on legislation that he has as a legislator."
He said votes in the caucus for the caucus to take positions on legislation aren't binding when members vote in the House.
Rep. Clark Hall, D-Marvell, who is white, represents a district that is 59 percent black but has never asked to be a member of the caucus.
A former local official, Hall said black leaders in his district have known him for years and know how to contact him with their opinions.
Hall said that Carroll being a "first-time elected official may feel in a little bit of limbo" with his constituents.
Carroll said he hopes that his efforts to be a caucus member would make him "be seen as a going a little extra to hear and voice their causes."
He said he would probably decide at the end of the session whether to run for re-election in 2010 as a Green or a Democrat.
Arkansas, Pages 11, 15 on 02/10/2009