New home for Springdale State Police troop is close, lawmakers say at forum

BENTONVILLE -- Money for a new Northwest Arkansas Headquarters for State Police Troop L is close to approval in the state Legislature, lawmakers said at a Benton County forum Saturday.

"As far as regional issues go, this might be the most important one for us in this legislative session," said Sen. Jon Woods, R-Springdale. Woods was among lawmakers speaking at a forum hosted by the Roger-Lowell Chamber of Commerce and the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber. The forum took place Saturday at Northwest Arkansas Community College.

State police bought 25 acres in Lowell in Benton County for a new headquarters in 2011. The agency had been trying to acquire enough money to buy land and build a new regional headquarters since 2005. Senate Bill 636 by Woods would keep current fees on drivers licenses in place, typically $12 on a driver's license. A portion of those fees goes to pay bonds issued in 1997 to build a State Police headquarters in Little Rock. The same 1997 bond issue also paid for the statewide radio communication system used by the State Police.

Those bonds are due to be paid off in June 2018, and the fees dedicated to those bond repayments will expire at the same time. SB 636 would not raise the $10 million a year in new fees but would extend their life and authorize State Police to issue new bonds to build new, regional troop headquarters.

Rep. Jana Della Rosa, R-Rogers, is House sponsor of the bill. The measure passed the Senate 33-0 on Thursday. It received the approval of the House State Agencies Committee on Friday. Money from the fees would also go to maintain, improve and expand the communications system and pay for new vehicles for State Police.

The current headquarters of Troop L in Springdale is too small to allow the 30 troopers stationed there and their five commanders to meet there at the same time, said Della Rosa and Woods. The new headquarters is tentatively planned to be 36,000 square feet. It would also house investigators of crimes against children and replace a rented building used as a driver's license testing center. Bigger, more secure storage space for evidence is also planned and space for a state revenue office is possible, Woods said.

The site is 6.5 miles north of the current headquarters of Troop L, northwest of the intersection of I-49 and Arkansas 264. Access to I-49 was a major consideration for the State Police in picking the site. Troop L covers Washington, Benton, Madison and Carroll counties. The new headquarter's site is within a half-mile of exit 78 on I-49.

In other topics at the forum, Rep. Sue Scott, R-Rogers, announced 67 members of the 100-member House have signed on as co-sponsors of her bill to allow veterans of the armed services to be licensed to practice their trade in Arkansas more quickly.

House Bill 1723 would allow state boards or commissions to issue a temporary license or certification in a skilled trade, such as welding, to a veteran or their spouse if that person is already licensed to practice in another state. It would also allow those boards and commissions to consider the military training and experience of a veteran and grant a license more quickly if that training and experience qualifies them. The bill also fixes a problem in which a member of the armed services could lose his certification during a deployment to active duty.

NW News on 03/08/2015

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