A vote to elect officers for the coming year sparked a brief but heated discussion among state Parole Board members Thursday, with one member accusing another of saying that a third member “doesn’t get along with blacks.”
Separately, Chairman Leroy Brownlee announced that he plans to retire June 30 after serving on the board for 21 years.
Brownlee cited health problems, a desire to spend more time with his grandchildren and possible changes to the board by the Legislature this year as reasons for deciding to step down with five years left on his term.
“The board is fixing to go to another level, another direction,” Brownlee said.
The exchange betweenmembers Joe Peacock and Abraham Carpenter came after Carpenter, the vice chairman, made a motion that he and Secretary Richard Mays Jr. keep their elected offices for another year.
The chairman is appointed by the governor, but the vice chairman and secretary are elected by fellow board members each February.
“You mean you’re going to stay in there a fourth year,even after y’all promised me?” Peacock said after Mays seconded Carpenter’s motion. “Lord!”
Brownlee, Carpenter and Mays - the board’s three black members - then voted to re-elect Carpenter and Mays.
John Felts and Jimmy Wallace, who are white, voted against the motion. Peacock and Carolyn Robinson, whoare also white, abstained.
After Brownlee found that the motion had carried, Peacock made a “point of personal privilege.”
“Mr. Chairman, last week, every one of those - Mr. Mays and Mr. Carpenter - had promised me they were going to vote for John Felts,” Peacock said. “Now, what happened in the water in one week - they promised me, promised me. Their word - I can’t trust it anymore. They have drawn the lines.”
He continued, “I know the word is Mr. Felts can’t get along with blacks. There’s no truth to that at all. ... Mr. Carpenter told me that.”
“I did not tell you that, Mr. Peacock,” Carpenter said.
“I’ve got a recording of it,” Peacock responded.
“If I told you anything - I’ve got the right to make any motion I want to make when I come to the meeting,” Carpenter said.
After the meeting Carpenter again denied telling Peacock he would vote for Felts as vice chairman.
“That’s a lie,” Carpenter said. “I never make promises, because you don’t know how things could go.”
As for saying Felts doesn’t get along with blacks, Carpenter said, “I would never make a statement like that. That’s totally false.”
Carpenter said other board members did not want to comment on the matter.
Matt DeCample, a spokesman for Gov. Mike Beebe, said later Thursday that Beebe was aware of the discussion from the meeting.
“As with any state board, if there are personality conflicts that arise we expect them to confront those and work them out,” DeCample said.
Brownlee’s annual salary is $94,683. Other board members’ salaries range between $79,310 and $83,728.
Brownlee, 63, was one of the first full-time members appointed by then-Gov. Bill Clinton after the board’s creation in 1989.
Then-Gov. Jim Guy Tucker appointed Brownlee chairman in 1994. He was reappointed by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2002 and by Beebe in 2009.
Legislation aimed at curbing the growth of Arkansas’ prison population and increasing the qualifications for board members is expected to be introduced this year. Brownlee said it’s time for someone else to take charge as the board faces the possible changes.
He also noted he has battled health problems, including recently undergoing surgery to remove his gallbladder.
He said he was “concerned” and “surprised” by the exchange between Peacock and Carpenter but didn’t know what was behind it.
“I just know that Brownlee is going to the house,” Brownlee said.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 02/25/2011