Prison space, parole changes, guns on college campuses and proposed constitutional amendments stand to dominate legislators' time this week.
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee pushed forward Senate Bill 472, known as the Criminal Justice Reform Act, which would make several changes in state law.
Among other things, it would facilitate removal of "derelict" members on the state Parole Board; allow for private groups to share in state savings if some of their training or treatment programs help reduce prison recidivism; and authorize counties and the state to enter into a contract with regional jails to help reduce prison crowding.
The bill by Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, R-Little Rock, is a companion to several proposals from his uncle Gov. Asa Hutchinson. The governor's plan, at a cost of $32 million over the next two years, would increase bed space for state prisoners; increase funding for parole officers; and create new transitional centers for prisoners to get treatment and training before moving back into communities.
Sen. Hutchinson said he plans to take the bill to the Senate floor after senators convene at 1:30 p.m. today.
"I have not heard of any significant objections [to the legislation], but you never know," he said. "We've spent so many hours working on it beforehand and meeting all the stakeholders. I think if there were objections, we'd have heard it by now."
One point has raised some concern. The bill would give police officers the same powers that state parole and probation officers have to conduct searches of parolees and probationers without first obtaining warrants.
Some senators voiced concern that such authority would allow police officers to harass parolees and probationers.
Sen. Hutchinson said he would amend the bill once it reached the House to require law enforcement agencies to develop a protocol for the searches to prevent abuse of the new authority.
Prisons legislation won't be the only matters on the agenda this week.
Speaker of the House Rep. Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, said legislators will focus on 41 proposed constitutional amendments.
Last week, the House approved a Senate measure to formalize how the prospective amendments will be handled and the House will address some of the procedural and scheduling problems that arose in the process in 2013.
On Friday, Gillam said he hadn't heard of any favorites among the amendment proposals from members of his chamber. He said he'd spend the weekend reviewing the measures, and the list would be narrowed down to as few as three by the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs committees in both chambers.
The state constitution allows legislators to refer up to three amendments to voters in the next general election. Lawmakers are permitted to refer a fourth if it deals with pay for elected officials.
Gillam said he expected the legislative committees to be very busy this week.
"I look for a lot of action," Gillam said of committees. "They all know the deadline we're pushing towards."
Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, said he wants the last of the appropriations to be voted on so the body can "wrap up" its budget issues.
He said it's possible that this week the Senate will debate SB298, by Sen. David Burnett, D-Osceola. That bill seeks to end the state's use of a death sentence in capital cases. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the bill Thursday.
Today is the deadline for appropriation bills to be filed. Any other legislation must be filed by March 9.
As of Friday, Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, was expected to take a bill to the House floor this week that would require colleges to allow the staffs at state universities and campuses to carry weapons on campus if the staff members have conceal-and-carry permits.
House Bill 1077 was defeated earlier this month in committee. But the House Education Committee advanced it Thursday. As amended, it would require staff members who intend to carry weapons on campus to undergo active-shooter training and to notify local law enforcement agencies that they'll have the weapons.
Metro on 03/02/2015