LITTLE ROCK — Lawmakers weren't sure they were making the right decision in 1997 to move the staff of the Early Childhood Commission under the state Department of Human Services.
As a compromise, the bill mandates a legislative review of the decision before the 1999 regular session.
The bill, Act 1132 of 1997, created the Child Care and Early Childhood Education Division on July 1 and moved most of the commission's work to the new division.
The division has been in upheaval since last week when department Director Lee Frazier asked the division's director, Glenda Bean, to resign. Frazier himself resigned Wednesday.
Bean refused to resign and told Frazier he would have to fire her.
In addition, two legislators introduced a study proposal last week on whether the division should be moved to the state Department of Education.
State Rep. David Choate, D-Beebe, one of the sponsors, said he had opposed creating the division under the Department of Human Services because he believed the focus should stay on education.
State Rep. Pat Flanagin, D-Forrest City, the 1997 bill's lead sponsor, said he supported creating the division because "it was so critical to the welfare reform effort and other children's services" handled by the Department of Human Services.
Bean was director of the Early Childhood Commission when she was asked last year by Jim von Gremp of Bentonville, a liaison to Gov. Mike Huckabee, to direct the new division, she said.
The bill was not a part of the governor's legislative package but "was one of our top priorities," said Steve Brawner, a Huckabee spokesman.
Frazier said Tuesday that he would release a letter explaining his reasons for asking Bean to resign, but in a memorandum released Wednesday, Frazier said simply "this is a management change."
Bean had asked Frazier if she could remain up to six months to continue organizing the department. Frazier refused. They agreed she would take an already scheduled sick leave from June 26 through Aug. 1, the date of her termination.
In a memo to Frazier dated Wednesday, Bean alleged that Frazier made an illegal offer to purchase her sick leave to make an earlier termination date effective. She declined.
"I regret that we are parting on these terms and wish that I had been afforded the professional courtesy which I expected," Bean wrote.
Bean's termination comes in the midst of criticism of her handling of a grant process in which she awarded a total of $183,709 in federal money to 21 programs for activities to draw children to summer feeding sites.
Bean said the first request for proposal sent to applicants was inadequate and she canceled the grant program.
Harley Fancher, grants coordinator for the Special Nutrition Program in Bean's division, said Bean approved the first request and canceled it after problems arose over what the money could be used for.
Fancher said grantees complained to Huckabee's office and Huckabee ordered the grant process redone.
Bean said she approved 21 grantees during the second process and sent the paperwork for payment to the Administrative Services Division, but the division has not signed off on the grants yet. The grants were up to $10,000 each.
Fancher also has alleged that Bean promised Little Rock grant money before the applications were sent out. Bryan Day, assistant director of the city's Parks and Recreation Department, said Bean did not promise the city a grant, but "promised us she would work with us and help us" find funding to expand its summer child-care program.
The city applied in the first round, but didn't participate in the second request process.