Officials monitor
impact of weather
The Arkansas House of Representatives and Senate planned to continue to meet in session this week unless forecasted inclement weather forces the chambers to change their plans, their leaders told lawmakers Monday.
House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, said the House will take things "day-by-day," with plans for lawmakers to continue to meet despite the inclement weather. Committee chairs will each make the calls as to whether to cancel their meetings this week, he said.
Lawmakers who cannot make it to the Capitol this week should look to pair votes, or ask for leave, he said.
"We have a limited number of days that we're allowed to be here to do business, so we try to get our business done," Shepherd said.
Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, told the Senate "we'll be looking at after the storm hits if staff can get here or not, and if staff can't get here, then we'll probably just not have session."
He said there are going to be a lot of senators spending the night in hotels and apartments.
Hester said the next concern would be whether a storm is coming that will prevent senators from getting home in a day or two, and a decision would be made at that point.
"It is certainly a moving target," Hester said.
-- Neal Earley and Michael R. Wickline
House passes bill
on driver's permits
The Arkansas House on Monday passed a bill that would allow probationers and parolees to hold restricted driver's permits for one year.
House Bill 1208 sponsored by Rep. Carol Dalby, R-Texarkana, was approved in a 96-0 vote, sending it to the Senate.
Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, R-Hermitage, presented the bill saying it would amend a current law that allows people to hold restricted driver's permits for the entire term of their parole or probation. This law has created difficulties for law enforcement who say people may hold these temporary permits for up to 10 years.
"What this bill does is brings that in to about a one-year period and lets someone be reevaluated at that point," Wardlaw said.
The bill also requires a person to have a suspended driver's license to be eligible for the restricted permit.
-- Will Langhorne
Vet tax exemption
clarified in House
The House approved on Monday a bill to clarify a property tax exemption for disabled veterans.
Under Arkansas law, certain disabled veterans are exempted from paying taxes on their homestead and personal property. House Bill 1143 by Rep. Charlene Fite, R-Van Buren, provides a standardized definition for what kind of real property county tax collectors should exempt for disabled veterans.
The House passed the bill on a 97-0 vote, sending it to the Senate.
The bill defines a homestead as real property that a veteran, or a veteran's surviving spouse or minor dependent child, "occupies as his or her principal place of residence," and "real property contiguous to the dwelling" used for a non-commercial purpose.
-- Neal Earley
Bill sets Holocaust
education week
The Senate on Monday approved a bill that would designate the last full week of classes in January in Arkansas public schools as Holocaust education week.
The Senate voted 34-0 to send Senate Bill 68 by Sen. Jim Dotson, R-Bentonville, to the House for further consideration.
Under the bill, the state Board of Education would be required to notify all public schools before the beginning of each school year of the dates designated for Holocaust education week and encourage all public schools to teach Holocaust education during the week.
-- Michael R. Wickline
Bill: Surrogates OK
to apply for care
The Senate on Monday approved a bill allowing a surrogate of certain individuals to apply for public benefits such as Medicare and Medicare for the principal, subject to any federal restrictions or requirements, and have access to information regarding the principal's income, assets and banking and financial records to the extent required to make an application.
The Senate voted 23-4 to send Senate Bill 74 by Sen. Justin Boyd, R-Fort Smith, to the House for further consideration. Five senators voted present and two other senators did not vote on the bill.
Boyd said under this measure a physician could appoint a surrogate such as a health care caseworker to apply for public benefits such as Medicaid for people who are in incapacitated and have no guardian, family or friends.
The authority of the bill includes the ability to assist with, submit and execute applications for benefits, redetermination of eligibility and other ongoing related communications. But the authority of the bill would terminate when revoked by the principal who no longer lacks decisional capacity, upon appointment or availability of a power of attorney or guardian with such authority, or upon the death of the principal. A surrogate would be required to meet all federal requirements to act as an authorized representative, including confidentiality provisions.
Sen. Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock, said she is concerned about who would prevent surrogates from using the financial information of these people to take advantage of them.
"I don't trust people with this kind of stuff," she said.
Boyd said the surrogate would gain access to financial information under the bill, and "at some point you have to have some faith." It would be an injustice to deny people a surgery because they lack a source of funds to pay for the surgery, he said.
-- Michael R. Wickline
Corrections head,
Black caucus meet
Creating opportunities for people transitioning out of prisons is a top priority for Joe Profiri, newly appointed secretary of the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
During a meeting Monday of the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus, Profiri said he would promote relationships between parole officers and people still in Arkansas prisons. Doing so would help streamline the transition out of prison, he said.
Profiri also said his department would create a correction plan for every incarcerated person. The plans would be informed by literacy tests and assessments of the incarcerated person's treatment needs. While Profiri said he believes Arkansas currently evaluates incarcerated people when they arrive in prison, he said the state may not put them "in programs that are necessary at the right time."
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced her intent to appoint Profiri to head the department earlier this month. Before coming to Arkansas, Profiri served as deputy director of the Arizona Department of Corrections.
-- Will Langhorne