Drone bill will now
go to the governor
The Arkansas Senate on Tuesday voted to send the governor a bill that would bar certain sex offenders from purchasing, owning, possessing, using or operating drones for private use.
In a 30-0 vote, the Senate approved House Bill 1125 by Rep. Brian Evans, R-Cabot.
Evans told a Senate committee Monday that he sponsored the bill along with Sen. Ricky Hill, R-Cabot, after constituents told him they had seen a drone repeatedly fly over their backyard.
When the drone eventually crashed on their property, the constituents learned it belonged to a Level 3 sex offender, he said.
Current law does not prevent sex offenders from owning or flying drones, which Evans said could allow offenders to monitor potential victims.
In Arkansas, sex offenders are classified into four levels. Level 1 is considered low risk, Level 2 is considered moderate risk and Level 3 is considered high risk. A Level 4 sex offender is considered a sexually violent predator.
Under HB1125, Level 3 and Level 4 sex offenders would be prohibited from "purchasing, owning, possessing, using or operating an unmanned aircraft." The bill defines an unmanned aircraft as any aircraft that may be flown without "direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft." The aircraft must also have the ability to "photographically or electronically record" to qualify.
The proposed law provides an exemption for any sex offenders required to use a drone as part of their employment.
-- Michael R. Wickline
Ballinger of Ozark
joins association
Former state Sen. Bob Ballinger, R-Ozark, has become the director of law and policy for the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, the group announced Monday.
The National Association of Christian Lawmakers is a nonprofit association founded by former state Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Conway, to support city, county, state and federal lawmakers across the nation, the association said in a news release.
Ballinger, an attorney, said working as the association's director of law and policy will be his primary job. He currently serves as the Arkansas state chair for the association and is a founding member of the association.
"I am humbled and blessed to have the opportunity to stay engaged in the battle alongside NACL," he said in the news release. "More than ever, our families and values are under attack. What has made our country great is actually under attack. It is a privilege to work with NACL to provide support to Christian lawmakers across the nation who are willing to stand in the gap."
-- Michael R. Wickline
House OKs ban
over local taxes
The Arkansas House on Tuesday approved a bill that would bar local governments from enacting income taxes.
House Bill 1026, sponsored by Rep. David Ray, R-Maumelle, passed in a 79-10 vote.
While Ray said no local jurisdictions in Arkansas currently levy income taxes, he noted that thousands of local governments across the country have enacted this form of tax.
When presenting his bill, Ray said he felt most of his fellow lawmakers would agree that "income taxes are the most economically damaging of all taxes. They dis-incentivize work and labor and productivity."
For the past eight years, Ray said the House has worked to reduce income taxes. Under former Gov. Asa Hutchinson's administration, the top individual state income tax rate dropped from 7% to 4.9%. Top lawmakers and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders have cited cutting the state income tax as a priority.
The bill will go to the Senate for further action.
-- Will Langhorne
House OKs compact
for therapy licenses
A bill to establish an interstate compact for occupational therapy licenses passed the House on Tuesday.
House Bill 1082, sponsored by Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville, would allow licensed occupational therapists from other states to work in Arkansas. The bill passed the House on a 71-7 vote, with 12 members voting present. Pilkington said occupational therapists from Arkansas would have the option to apply for a license to join the compact, which includes 22 other states.
Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, R-Hermitage, spoke against the bill, saying it would take away some state authority to regulate occupational therapist licenses. The bill would give some rule-making authority to an interstate agency called the Occupational Therapy Compact Commission.
"This does give away a good bit of power to oversee folks that are doing business in the state of Arkansas," Wardlaw said.
Pilkington said the compact commission would have no authority over Arkansas' occupational therapy licenses, only for those seeking a license to work in the compact.
"If you don't want to be a part of the compact, you don't have to be a part of the compact," Pilkington said.
-- Neal Earley