FAYETTEVILLE -- State Sen. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville, will work to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment he voted to place on the 2018 general election ballot, he said at a legislator's forum on Friday.
Lindsey was one of five lawmakers appearing before an audience of about 50 at the forum, hosted by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce at 4 p.m. Friday, in the former headquarters of the chamber, which still owns the building.
Lindsey said he was a "dead-set no vote" on the proposed constitutional amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 8, as late as Wednesday. The amendment would limit jury awards in lawsuits, among other changes, if voters approve it. But last-minute appeals from constituents to allow the voters to have a choice convinced him to support placing the measure on the ballot.
"I hope it's defeated," Lindsey said. "I'm not sure I did the wise thing in accommodating all my constituents." The measure passed 21-10 in the Senate on Thursday and now goes before the House. Voters would have to approve the measure in a the next general election for the amendment to be adopted.
Lindsey's chief objection to the measure is it requires approval of court rules of procedure to be subject to legislative approval, and allows the Legislature to set court rules by a three-fifths vote. "I think all of us in this room know what the separation of powers doctrine is and support it," he said. Lindsey said he was "inundated with calls from the business community" asking for "the right of people to have their say."
Rep. David Whitaker, D-Fayetteville, expressed doubts whether portions of the resolution would pass muster under provisions of the U.S. Constitution.
In other topics, the so-called "campus carry" bill again took up most of the discussion, as it has at each of these forums this year. House Bill 1249 by Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, would allow faculty and staff of state colleges and universities who have permits for concealed carry of firearms to bring their guns to campus. The bill passed the House but received what Collins called at the forum a "hostile amendment" in the Senate, which would require such faculty and staff to take 16 additional hours of training. Collins said Friday he was optimistic a compromise would be worked out and the bill would proceed.
Lawmakers were also about whether there would be a so-called "bathroom bill" on who could use public restrooms of which gender. Lawmakers from both parties said they have yet to see a need for one.
"I don't understand what the problem is," Collins said. "The school officials I've talked to who have students with any issue say they are working it out, letting the students involved use the teacher's lounge, or taking other measures."
Rep. Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, called the proposed legislation "absolutely stupid, but we're going to take the threat that somebody's going to do this seriously."
NW News on 02/18/2017