The Arkansas Senate on Thursday unanimously approved legislation to bar the state Board of Private Career Education from exerting its authority over yoga-teacher training schools, while the Arkansas House of Representatives OK'd a bill changing the qualifications for small, isolated school districts to receive more funding.
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Lawmakers also filed three proposed constitutional amendments on Thursday.
In a 34-0 vote, the Senate sent to the House Senate Bill 94 by Sen. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville, which would bar the board from regulating yoga and other instructor-training programs such as horseback riding, dance, music and sewing, knitting or other needlecrafts.
"This bill stops what I consider to be an overreach of their regulatory authority by the state Board of Private Career Education," he said before the Senate approved it
Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, told senators that she is a former professional dancer, who has a bachelor's degree in dance and taught dance at Hendrix College in Conway.
"We should be allowed to let the free market work and let us be able to teach our arts and our craft in a manner without overregulation from government," she said.
Last month, the Board of Private Career Education voted to deny yoga-teacher training schools an exemption from state regulation.
The board members agreed that yoga-teacher training falls under the agency's authority, though yoga supporters argued yoga-teacher training was avocational and outside the board's purview.
The exemption was proposed by Yoga Alliance, a nationwide advocate for schools that train yoga instructors.
Twelve Arkansas schools received letters from the state in July requiring them to become licensed in order to continue their programs.
Also Thursday, senators debated more traditional educational matters.
In a 32-2 vote, the Senate approved SB30 by Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, to reduce the number of professional development days required for teachers as part of their 190-day teacher employment contract from 10 days to no fewer than six days.
The state now provides funding for six professional development days for teachers, and his bill would allow school districts to decide whether they want to pay for more professional development days, Johnson said.
"We have an unfunded mandate and this lifts that mandate," Johnson told senators.
In a 27-6 vote, the Senate approved a bill to allow a public school to exceed the maximum class size adopted by the state Board of Education for no more than one semester per school year per class, if the school began the semester at or below the maximum class size allowed and doesn't exceed the maximum class size allowed by more than 10 percent.
Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, said his SB76 would give school districts more flexibility to do the right thing for their students.
On the other side of the Capitol, the House voted 95-0 to approve House Bill 1086 by Rep. David Branscum, R-Marshall, to change the qualifications for "special needs local school districts" to receive isolated funding.
Rural school districts with small enrollments spread over large areas qualify for additional school funding from the state if they meet certain criteria.
Branscum's bill would change one of those criteria, which requires a density of 1.4 students or less per square mile.
The requirement would be increased to 1.5 students or less per square mile, which Branscum said only affects one school district that is located within his House district.
In other action, the House approved HB1159 by Rep. Scott Baltz, D-Pocahontas, to require businesses selling, importing, distributing, making or shooting fireworks to fill out an application with the Arkansas State Police registering their company information.
Baltz said the state police asked for the law to better track those businesses.
Three proposed constitutional amendments also were filed Thursday.
Senate Joint Resolution 3, by Sen. Eddie Joe Williams, R-Cabot, would allow the governor to retain his powers when absent from the state.
Under the existing Arkansas Constitution, the lieutenant governor temporarily takes over as governor when that situation arises. The proposed amendment would not change the lieutenant governor rising to governor in case of death, impeachment or resignation.
Another proposed constitutional amendment filed Thursday is House Joint Resolution 1002 by Rep. Dan Douglas, R-Bentonville, that would eliminate the every-other-year fiscal session of the Legislature.
The Legislature would meet every two years and pass two-year funding appropriations under the amendment.
In 2008, voters approved a constitutional amendment to require the Legislature to meet in a fiscal session in even-numbered years. The Legislature already met in regular sessions in odd-numbered years.
The other proposed amendment is SJR2, by Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale. It would amend the term limits for legislators to allow members to serve no more than five two-year terms in the House and no more than three four-year terms in the Senate, with no member serving more than 16 years total in both chambers.
Amendment 94, approved by voters in November, allows legislators to serve a maximum of 16 years, which can be spent in the House, the Senate or in both chambers.
Later in the session, lawmakers will decide what up to three constitutional amendments that they want to refer to voters in the 2016 general election.
A section on 01/30/2015