Measures target Education Board, Game and Fish Commission

— Arkansas lawmakers Thursday filed a bill to strip the state Board of Education of its power to regulate the state’s charter schools and a proposed constitutional amendment to require the election of the state’s highway and game and fish commissioners.

Other lawmakers introduced legislation that would let churches decide for themselves whether they want to ban concealed weapons on their property and another to allow certified faculty and staff on college campus to carry concealed weapons.

House Bill 1040 - sponsored by Rep. Mark Biviano, R-Searcy - would create a five member State Public Charter School Commission.

The governor, Senate president pro tempore, House speaker, the chairman of the House Education Committee, and the chairman of the Senate Education Committee would appoint one member each to the commission.

The commission would be responsible for reviewing, authorizing, and monitoring the charter contracts of all public charter schools, effective July 1, including those established before that day, under the bill.

The nine-member state Board of Education, appointed by the governor, has authority for charter schools under state law.

Biviano, whose bill has 28 House Republican co-sponsors, said the board has been slow to consider some charter school applications and denied some that should have been approved.

He said an independent commission would focus on charter schools and would include members who believe in this type of educational system.

Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat, opposes the bill. He thinks the education board has done an excellent job of creating opportunities for public-enrollment charter schools and has made sure that they meet educational standards, said Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample.

Beebe “sees no reason to increase the size of government just to create a new commission that would do that same work,” DeCample said.

Sen. David Burnett, D-Osceola, introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to require members of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and state Highway Commission to be elected.

Under Burnett’s Senate Joint Resolution 3, two members of the Game and Fish Commission would be elected from each of the state’s four congressional districts and a member would be elected statewide. The commission now has seven members appointed by the governor.

Two members of the Highway Commission would be elected from each of the state’s four congressional districts and one member would be statewide and serve as its chairman.

The commission is now made up of five members appointed by the governor.

Burnett said he introduced the proposal because both commissions “do pretty well what they please. In this day and age we need to have the input of the citizens, and that’s all I am trying to do.”

Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, R-Little Rock, is co-sponsoring Burnett’s proposal.

A spokesman for the Game and Fish Commission said the commission opposes the proposed constitutional amendment.

“Amendment 35, which the voters of Arkansas approved,has served our citizens and our natural resources very well,” said commission spokesman Nancy Ledbetter.

Highway and Transporation Department spokesman Randy Ort said the Highway Commission hasn’t taken a stance on the proposal.

Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, filed Thursday Senate Bill 71 to allow a church or other place of worship to determine who may carry a concealed weapon into the place of worship.

Rep. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith, filed House Bill 1035 Thursday to allow trained and licensed staff members and faculty to carry concealed handguns on a university or college or campus.

Front Section, Pages 6 on 01/18/2013

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