LITTLE ROCK — Two state lawmakers have proposed a resolution for the Arkansas House of Representatives and Arkansas Senate to offer their “full support” for the governor and attorney general to take “every lawful and responsible action” within their authority to seek and litigate for a court order bringing an immediate end to the Pulaski County school desegregation case and the settlement agreement involving the state.
State Sen. Gilbert Baker, RConway, and Rep. Tim Summers, R-Bentonville, filed a resolution for the Legislature to consider in the fiscal session.
Since the 1988-89 school year, the state has paid more than $1 billion in total and about $70 million a year in desegregation funding to the Little Rock, North Little Rock and Pulaski County Special school districts, according to the resolution.
Baker said he proposed it to show that Gov. Mike Beebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel “have the support of the Legislature behind them as they move forward” trying to settle the case.
“There is a pretty strong view across Arkansas that it is time to deal with that case,” Baker said.
As a result of the order from a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at St. Louis, desegregation efforts by the Pulaski County Special district will continue to be monitored by the federal courts for the foreseeable future.
The Little Rock and North Little Rock districts have been released from court supervision in the 29-year-old lawsuit.
All three districts, however, remain parties in the lawsuit and receive about $70 million a year in state desegregation aid that other districts in the state do not get.
Front Section, Pages 6 on 02/15/2012