State Capitol briefs

Housing-head bill makes advance

Legislation that would require the governor to appoint the director of the state's Fair Housing Commission advanced through a House committee Monday.

The House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee recommended House approval of Senate Bill 697 by Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs. The director of the Fair Housing Commission would serve at the pleasure of the governor under the bill, which also states that the commission "may" fix the compensation, duties, authority and responsibilities of the director.

Rep. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, said he has agreed to withdraw from consideration his House-approved House Bill 2053 that would merge the commission into the Arkansas Development Finance Authority, "as long as [Hester's bill] gets through" the Legislature.

Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson supports SB697, said Hutchinson spokesman J.R. Davis. Hutchinson "didn't support the version that sent [the commission into the finance authority], but he does support this bill because it puts the director of fair housing in line with other Cabinet director positions in that the rest are appointed by the governor," Davis said.

-- Michael R. Wickline

Senators move ban on open containers

Arkansans' legal right to drink alcoholic beverages in the back seat of a car would be taken away under a bill moving through the Senate.

The chamber's Judiciary Committee endorsed House Bill 1922, which would make it illegal to have an open alcoholic beverage in the passenger area of a vehicle, with exceptions for RVs and limousines.

The bill, by Rep. Dan Douglas, R-Bentonville, has already passed in the House. It now goes on to the full Senate.

Arkansas is one of about seven states without an open container law for vehicles, putting federal road construction funding in jeopardy, according to the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.

By not having such a law on the books, the state has to spend about $12 million in federal funds on safety education and advertising programs instead of construction, highway officials said.

No senator objected to the bill, but one public resident did. "At some point, we have to stop selling out to the federal government just to get free handouts," said Paul Calvert of Faulkner County.

-- John Moritz

Birth-certificate bill fails 2nd time

Proposed changes to Arkansas' birth certificate statutes sought by same-sex couples were blocked for the second time in a week Monday.

Despite being first proposed by the Republican attorney general's office, Senate Bill 580 fell flat in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. Sen. Will Bond of Little Rock, the only Democrat on the committee, failed to get anyone to second a motion to back the measure.

The measure had previously fallen short when considered by the committee March 20.

On Monday, the committee heard from one of the mothers from three same-sex couples who sued the state over the current law. She said the bill would make the process the same for heterosexual couples who conceive through artificial insemination.

Her presence failed to sway the committee. The lead sponsor, Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, said it would not be brought up again before the Legislature recesses next week.

-- John Moritz

House OKs school fund-spending rule

A measure to limit fund balances at public schools passed in the House on Monday in a 52-29 vote.

House Bill 1575 by Rep. Mark Lowery, R-Maumelle, would require schools carrying more than 20 percent of certain funds from one year to the next to spend the money or put it toward a construction fund. The bill allows five years for compliance.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are sitting in accounts instead of being spent on students, Lowery said.

Passage of the bill came after three tries in the House. The two previous votes were expunged to make way for Monday evening's passage.

Opponents of the legislation said local school districts should decide whether to save the funds. Some districts said they need the funds to make up for declining enrollment.

The bill heads to the Senate for further consideration.

-- Brian Fanney

School-year delay stalls in House

A bill to delay the school year to boost state tourism got only 29 of the 51 votes it needed to pass in the House on Monday.

School would have started after Labor Day in September instead of in mid- to late August under House Bill 1937 by Rep. Mark Lowery, R-Maumelle. Joe David Rice, state tourism director, and Montine McNulty, executive director of the Arkansas Hospitality Association, said they supported the bill because the Labor Day weekend is important for business.

School organizations uniformly opposed the measure, which would also have required districts to end the school year before Memorial Day. Opponents included the Arkansas Education Association and the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators. Education officials said breaks during the school year such as those for Thanksgiving and Christmas would have to be shorter, and fewer days would be available for professional development.

-- Brian Fanney

A Section on 03/28/2017

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