Legislation filed Wednesday in the Arkansas House of Representatives seeks to reinstate a requirement that all public high schools in the state offer courses in journalism.
The bill, filed by state Rep.-elect Julie Mayberry, R-Hensley, would undo new rules passed by the Board of Education earlier this year that made offering journalism optional for school districts.
Mayberry, who previously served in the Legislature from 2015-17, helps run The East Ender, a monthly newspaper in Saline County, with her husband, current state Rep. Andy Mayberry. (Julie Mayberry will take over her husband's seat in House District 27 on Jan. 14.)
Julie Mayberry also filed legislation that would require high schoolers in health classes to be trained in controlling bleeding.
Legislation is being filed ahead of the regular session, which begins Jan. 14.
On the journalism proposal, House Bill 1015, Mayberry said she and her husband began working on the legislation immediately after lawmakers approved the Board of Education rules in June.
"Just about everybody now thinks they're a journalist now with social media," said Mayberry, who earned her degree in broadcast journalism from Emerson College in Boston. "And they're practically right."
HB1015 was filed in the same week that student journalists at Springdale's Har-Ber High School received national attention when school administrators attempted to stop the student newspaper from publishing an article questioning the transfer of several student athletes to a rival high school.
The article quoted one athlete who said he decided to transfer to "showcase my talent more," a possible violation of district rules. It was reported Tuesday that the Springdale School District, after facing much scrutiny, would permit the articles to be posted online.
"The students [at Har-Ber] have used their journalism background to pull out a good story," Mayberry said Wednesday. "That's what we want to see."
Others have argued that the journalism requirement can be burdensome on smaller, rural school districts.
A spokesman with the Department of Education said Wednesday that it was too early for the agency to comment on the proposed legislation.
The Board of Education rules were approved by the Legislative Council in June, overcoming an effort by several lawmakers, including Andy Mayberry, to hold a separate vote specifically on the provision to make journalism classes optional. The vote to reject a separate vote passed 25-14.
Rep. Bob Ballinger, R-Hindsville, supported the rule change earlier this year and said Wednesday that while he supports journalism instruction, he opposes making it a requirement.
"I am generally not in favor of state mandates on school districts," Ballinger said.
Mayberry's House Bill 1014 to require training in controlling bleeding would apply not only in violence situations -- which have prompted the state to look at ways to secure schools -- but also in other potentially deadly situations, such as car crashes, Mayberry said.
"That can save a life," she said. "I don't see it being controversial."
Information for this article was contributed by Dave Perozek of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Metro on 12/07/2018