The Arkansas Senate on Thursday sent to Gov. Asa Hutchinson legislation that would allow state government to fund the panic-button alert system for public schools in fiscal 2019, which starts July 1. The system has been in use in schools since fiscal 2015.
Senate Bill 105 passed by a vote of 31-0 Thursday, with Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, not voting. Sen. Jim Hendren has said the bill would allow the use of about $800,000 in leftover one-time funds in the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Those funds were originally earmarked for compressed natural gas incentives.
Hendren, R-Sulphur Springs, has described the measure as a "one-year fix." The Legislature would again have to come up with funding for the system in next year's regular legislative session.
In April, Hutchinson vetoed legislation that would have granted spending authority to the state Department of Education to continue paying for the panic-button system this fiscal year.
At that time, the Republican governor said he vetoed the measure because it is up to local school districts to decide whether to pay for the alert systems.
But Rave Mobile Safety, the company behind the Rave Panic Button app used in Arkansas schools, continued to provide the system for this school year in hopes of regaining state funding in fiscal 2019, said Ted Mullenix of Hot Springs, a contract lobbyist for the company and a former state representative.
In fiscal 2015, the state Department of Emergency Management signed a $950,000 contract with Rave Mobile Safety to provide panic-button phone apps to public school employees in Arkansas.
In fiscal 2016, the system was funded by the Department of Education using unobligated funds. In fiscal 2017, the attorney general's office provided $850,000 in settlement funds to the Department of Emergency Management for the system, according to the office's records.
-- Michael R. Wickline
A Section on 03/02/2018