Legislator jury-duty deferral advances
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday advanced legislation that would allow lawmakers to defer jury duty service when they are called into session.
House Bill 1159, by state Rep. Stephen Meeks, R-Greenbrier, would guarantee jury deferments for lawmakers starting 30 days before any regular, special or fiscal session. The bill would also allow Arkansans over the age of 80 to opt out of jury service.
“It’s not a get-out-of-jury-duty card,” Meeks said, noting that members would still have to show up for jury duty after a deferment. He said he was concerned about judges forcing members to serve away from the Capitol for political reasons.
The bill passed the committee by a voice vote and now heads to the Senate floor.
— John Moritz
Bill allowing guns in parks moves up
Legislation that would allow Arkansans with a concealed carry license to take guns into municipal parks was advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 306, by state Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, would allow concealed weapons in any municipal park, except for areas of those parks where athletic games or practices are being held.
The bill was passed by the committee on a party-line, 5-1 vote and now heads to the Senate floor.
— John Moritz
Anti-doxxing bill heading to Senate
A bill that would enact criminal penalties for the “malicious” posting of personal information about a minor on the Internet was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday after an amended version was presented by the sponsor.
Senate Bill 170, by state Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, would criminalize social media posts intended to “frighten, coerce, intimidate, threaten, abuse, or harass the minor,” also known as doxxing.
Garner pulled the bill down after an earlier meeting at which criminal defense attorneys argued the bill was written too broadly, potentially criminalizing a lot of teenagers’ behavior online.
Two defense attorneys spoke against the amended bill Wednesday, while noting the second draft was much improved.
“The law applies to much more speech than I think was intended,” said attorney Christoph Keller of the firm Quattlebaum, Grooms and Tull, adding that he believed the amended bill is unconstitutional.
The amended bill would make doxxing a misdemeanor in most cases in which no physical or monetary harm occurs because of the post. Increasing felony punishments would be applicable if harm does occur, including up to 20 years in prison if a minor dies or has monetary losses greater than $1 million.
The Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB170 on a 5-1 vote, sending it to the Senate floor.
— John Moritz
Sponsor pulls bill to alter parole fees
State Sen. Ben Gilmore, R-Crossett, pulled down legislation Wednesday that would allow prison officials to seek a yearly adjustment to parole and probation fees, after several Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee expressed concerns over the bill.
Under House Bill 1114, prison officials would be able to request a once-a-year adjustment to the current $35 monthly fee charged to people on state supervision.
Corrections Secretary Solomon Graves told the committee that the change was needed to give officials greater flexibility in responding to “exigent” circumstances such as the covid-19 pandemic. Because the fee is set in law, it can only be changed during legislative sessions that typically occur once every two years.
The bill passed narrowly out of the House last month, after Democrats and some Republicans expressed concerns that the fees would only increase.
Those concerns were repeated Wednesday by state Sen. Bob Ballinger, R-Ozark, and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale.
“I don’t like the idea … of where every year it can just be a 20% increase,” Ballinger said.
With the bill likely to fail in committee, Gilmore agreed to work on changes that could address concerns.
— John Moritz
Panel favors ethics fine restriction bill
A bill to prohibit the use of campaign or carryover funds to pay for an ethics violation gained the approval of a House committee on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 183, by Sen. Keith Ingram, D-West Memphis, states that candidates or officeholders who use such funds to pay a fine imposed by the Arkansas Ethics Commission shall be deemed to have taken campaign funds as personal income.
“Our intent on this bill was just to be visibly responsible to our constituents and people that use their hard-earned money to donate to us,” said Rep. Tippi McCullough, D-Little Rock, the bill’s sponsor in the House.
A voice vote with no audible opposition sent the bill to the House floor.
— Rachel Herzog
Computer-class bill clears Senate panel
A proposal backed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to make computer science a graduation requirement for Arkansas high-schoolers made it out of a Senate committee on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 107, by Sen. Jane English, R-North Little Rock, would make such classes a requirement starting with students entering ninth grade in 2022.
The legislation would require every public school in the state to employ at least one state-certified computer science teacher by the beginning of the 2023-24 school year.
Proponents of the bill said it’s important to expose students to skills becoming more in demand in today’s workforce.
“Many times we forget about what the possibilities could be for our young people, and so many times, if they don’t see it, if they don’t know it, if they are not exposed to it, they have no idea what their future could look like,” English told the Senate Education Committee.
Hutchinson announced his support for the legislation at a news conference in November. The Republican governor has spearheaded initiatives to make Arkansas a leader in computer science education but did not support making computer science a graduation requirement until the Arkansas Computer Science and Cybersecurity Task Force recommended doing so in October.
A voice vote sent the legislation to the Senate floor for further consideration.
— Rachel Herzog
Medical scholarship bill OK’d by House
Legislation establishing a scholarship program for first-year medical students in Arkansas gained approval from the Arkansas House on Wednesday.
Rep. Joe Cloud, R-Russell-ville, said House Bill 1021 is “just one step in increasing Arkansas’ physician workforce.” The state has a shortage of health care workers, and many workers in that field have significant student loan debt, he said.
The bill would establish a one-time $30,000 scholarship for first-year medical students who complete their undergraduate education within 24 months, which Cloud said would incentivize some of the most motivated students.
Funding for the scholarship would come from the Division for Higher Education’s appropriation for student assistance grants and scholarships.
— Rachel Herzog