Shield for concealed-gun carriers favored

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, center, gives a pen to Rep. David Meeks, R-Conway, left, as Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, right, watches during a bill-signing ceremony at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. The governor signed into law new protections for human trafficking victims.(AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, center, gives a pen to Rep. David Meeks, R-Conway, left, as Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, right, watches during a bill-signing ceremony at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. The governor signed into law new protections for human trafficking victims.(AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

— The House of Representatives voted 84-3 Tuesday in favor of a bill to exempt the names and ZIP codes of concealed-handgun license holders from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

On a sometimes testy 37th day of the session, members also took up bills that would resume lethal injections in the state and allow students to stay in their schools if the School Choice Act is ruled unconstitutional.

No members spoke for or against the gun legislation, Senate Bill 131. The legislation, which also exempts the names and ZIP codes of former license holders and applicants, was sent to Gov. Mike Beebe; the governor has not said whether he’ll sign it.

In 2009, the Legislature had voted overwhelmingly to shield some concealed-weapon registration data, including permit holders’ addresses, from public disclosure.

The current bill’s sponsor, Sen. Bruce Holland, R-Greenwood, introduced the legislation after a New York newspaper published information about concealed-weapons permit holders in that state.

The House also voted 89-1 Tuesday in favor of Senate Bill 237, proposed by Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, which attempts to resume lethal injections in the state after the existing statute was ruled unconstitutional by the Arkansas Supreme Court in June. The bill was sent to the governor, who will sign it into law, Beebe’s spokesman Matt DeCample said.

SB237, which was presented to the House by Rep. Nate Steel, D-Nashville, attempts to address the issues raised in the court’s ruling.

Under the bill, prisoners would first be injected with a benzodiazepine, an anti-anxiety drug, before receiving “a barbiturate in an amount sufficient to cause death.”

PROCEDURAL WRANGLING

One day after Republican leader Bruce Westerman fell two votes short of the 51 required to amend one of his own bills, two of his fellow Republican lawmakers responded by blocking similar requests from two Democratic lawmakers.

“Every member ought to have the right to amend hisown bill,” said Rep. John Burris, R-Harrison. “[Monday] that courtesy was denied to Rep. Westerman and I wanted to make a point.” But Westerman took to the floor Tuesday afternoon and asked members to respect the customary privilege to amend their own bills.

“It’s disappointing that we’re at this point, but I hope that we’ll all join together and support this bill and pass it out like it should be,” Westerman said.

House Speaker Davy Carter said he would be “extremely disappointed” if he saw the procedural action used again in the future.

“I’ve said to every member I’ve come across, and I’ll say it again now in front of you, ‘We’re not going to get into that kind of stuff.’ Everybody’s even now, right,” Carter said.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

At a news conference, Beebe signed identical bills to increase penalties for human trafficking and provide defenses for victims who are charged with prostitution.

Senate Bill 242, proposed by Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, is now Act 132. House Bill 1203 by Rep. David Meeks, R-Conway, is now Act 133.

The acts make it a Class Y felony to traffic a minor for labor or sex. Human trafficking is currently a Class A felony.

A Class Y felony is punishable by 10 to 40 years or lifein prison. A Class A felony is punishable by six to 30 years in prison.

The acts also create defenses against charges of prostitution and sexual solicitation for victims of human trafficking and allow victims to file civil actions against traffickers.

ELECTRONIC PROOF OF INSURANCE

In other business, the Senate approved Senate Bill 243 to allow proof of insurance for motor vehicles to be presented in either paper form or electronic form

Sen. Larry Teague, DNashville, who sponsored the bill, told senators that many people “don’t think of having paper” and already carry proof of insurance on their cell phones.

CONSULTING CONTRACT

The Joint Budget Committee signed off Tuesday on a state Department of Human Services’ proposal to pay more to experts helping the department on its Medicaid payment overhaul.

The department proposed adding $12.4 million to its existing $15.5 million contractwith McKinsey and Co. Inc. of Washington, D.C.

The increase in the consulting firm’s contract is for additional work on the Arkansas Health Care Payment Improvement Initiative, according to the Bureau of Legislative Research.

The department started the Medicaid payment overhaul in October to replace its traditional model of paying for each medical test and procedure without many limits to one in which doctors and other providers will be held financially accountable: Rewarded for containing costs and eliminating waste; penalized if costs and services are deemed excessive.

Department off icials have said the speed at which Medicaid costs increase has slowed significantly, a change they attribute to the payment changes. But Republican lawmakers have questioned that explanation.

ETHICS BILL

A Senate committee endorsed a bill to bar the state’s constitutional officers from registering as lobbyists until a year after the end of their terms. State workers employed by constitutional officers would be barred from lobbying for a year after they leave their jobs. State agency heads, their deputies and members of the Public Service Commission also wouldbe barred from lobbying for a year after leaving their government posts.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. David Sanders, R-Little Rock, told the Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee that the restrictions are similar to what legislators face.

In 2011, Sanders sponsored a bill that became Act 1200 that prohibits members of the Public Service Commission and its director, and the commission or deputy commissioner of the bank, insurance and securities departments from working for businesses they’ve overseen until a year after leaving the agencies.

EDUCATION

The House Education committee approved a bill that would allow students who transferred under the Public School Choice Act of 1989 to remain in their nonresident schools if the act is later ruled unconstitutional or is repealed.

House Bill 1294, proposed by Rep. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, also would allow a sibling of a nonresident student to enroll at the same school for the duration of their secondary education.

The committee also approved a bill that would add Arkansas to an interstate compact that waives certain state-specific academic requirements for children ofactive-duty military members who complete another state’s requirements.

Senate Bill 15, introduced by Sen. Eddie Joe Williams, R-Cabot, would allow children who have been accepted into Gifted and Talented and Advanced Placement programs in other states to be admitted to those programs in Arkansas.

Beebe also has publicly supported the bill.

PREGNANCY AND DEADLY FORCE

The House Judiciary unanimously passed a bill that would allow a pregnant woman to use deadly force to protect her fetus if she reasonably believed the fetus was threatened.

Under Senate Bill 170, proposed by Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, the pregnant woman would not be obligated to retreat or surrender property.

Front Section, Pages 7 on 02/20/2013