89-0 House vote OKs judge-liability plan
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A bill that would end judicial immunity for judges convicted of bribery passed the House on Thursday, while a companion bill dealing with abuse of office advanced through the House Judiciary Committee. Both bills are sponsored by Rep. Clarke Tucker, D-Little Rock.
The House voted 89-0 to approve House Bill 1007. The bill would allow litigants adversely affected by a judicial decision that is the result of a bribe to sue the judge for damages.
Former Faulkner County Circuit Judge Michael Maggio pleaded guilty in 2015 to lowering a jury's $5.2 million judgment against a nursing home to $1 million, in exchange for contributions to his re-election campaign. Maggio is appealing in federal court.
-- John Moritz
Call for convention of states falls short
The House rejected a resolution Thursday calling for a convention of the states to consider proposing a U.S. constitutional amendment.
House Joint Resolution 1022, by Rep. Rick Beck, R-Center Ridge, is part of a larger effort to get at least 34 state legislatures to call for the convention. It failed 32-56.
Beck said the proposed amendment would allow the states, with a vote of three-fifths of legislatures, to nullify and repeal federal statutes, executive orders, judicial decisions, regulations and government mandates.
Committee backs convention measure
The Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee endorsed a measure to call for a convention of the states to consider proposing a U.S. constitutional amendment to bar defining marriage as anything but the union of a man and a woman.
The measure is Senate Joint Resolution 7 by Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Bigelow.
The Senate committee also recommended approval of Senate Joint Resolution 9 by Rapert to call for a convention of the states to consider proposing a U.S. constitutional amendment that would provide that "every human being shall be deemed from the moment of conception to be a person and entitled to the right of life."
-- Michael R. Wickline
Senate approves born-alive proposal
The Senate voted 32-0 to approve a bill that would require doctors to attempt to save babies that are born alive during an abortion. Senate Bill 148 by Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, would "create born-alive infant protection."
If an abortion results in a live birth, the bill would require the doctor to notify the mother, provide immediate medical care to the infant and call 911 if the birth does not take place in a hospital. Failing to do so would be a Class D felony, punishable by up to six years in prison.
-- Michael R. Wickline and John Mortiz
Resolution on dates of session approved
In a 33-1 vote, the Senate approved House Concurrent Resolution 1013 by House Speaker Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, to extend the regular session and require the House and Senate to recess by April 7 or earlier.
Under the resolution, Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, and Gillam may reconvene the General Assembly through joint proclamation at any time before noon May 5.
-- Michael R. Wickline
Senators in favor of dinosaur for state
The Senate approved a resolution designating Arkansaurus fridayi as the state's official dinosaur.
Rep. Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville sponsored House Concurrent Resolution 1003. He has said that he was inspired by Mason Cypress Oury, a Fayetteville High School senior who read that the state had no official dinosaur and contacted his local lawmakers.
The Arkansaurus fridayi fossil was discovered by Arkansan Joe Friday in 1972 while searching for a lost cow.
-- Michael R. Wickline
A Section on 02/17/2017