Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Tuesday summary
Financial reporting was found to be so inconsistent among the 252 school districts in 2005-06 that auditors didn’t even bother listing athletic expenditures, according to a recent audit. The audit also contains salaries for each superintendent in the state. The highest was in Russellville where the superintendent received $258,407 in the 2005-06 school year.
Taking up causes he has fought for in previous legislative sessions, Sen. Kim Hendren of Gravette spoke to a Senate committee about bills he has filed to limit cell phone use by drivers and require truck drivers to keep gravel loads covered. The Senate Transportation, Technology and Legislative Affairs Committee, of which Hendren is a member, took no action on either bill.
Sen. Dave Bisbee, joined by Rep. Keven Anderson, in proposing legislation to kill so-called “impact fees,” by which local communities pay the cost of increased public services and expensive new infrastructure by charging real estate developers.
House leaders say members who have ideas for projects they want the state to fund must judge for themselves whether a recent Supreme Court decision would allow it. The state Supreme Court in December struck down astate appropriation sending $400,000 to the Perry County town of Bigelow for miscellaneous improvements.
A plan to reorganize the Senate’s staff by eliminating the chief of staff’s job and putting the secretary of the state Senate in charge of daily operations and the staff was OK’d Monday by a Senate committee. The so-called Brotherhood faction of the state senate recently fired the long serving chief of staff.
State Rep. Steve Harrelson of Texarkana told Pat Lynch that a proposal is being circulated among Arkansas lawmakers to repeal the minimum wage increase for restaurant employees.
Fort Smith lawmakers hope to get the Legislature to set aside $25 million of the state surplus to go to the state Department of Parks and Tourism to pay for planning or construction of the long-sought federal marshals museum.
Little Rock’s plans to let beer and liquor drinkers roam some city streets first bent, then snapped under pressure from its River Market District. The city will not push for legislation in this session to create an entertainment district in the fashion of Beale Street in Memphis.
The Arkansas Ethics Commission notified former District 22 Prosecuting Attorney Robert Herzfeld by letter Friday that the citizens complaint filed against him by Sheriff Phil Mask had been dismissed.
State administrators expect an additional 2,500 children from low-income families to receive state-subsidized child care because of a recent increase in income eligibility levels.
Friday marked a new day for Arkansas and Phillips County as MFA Oil in Lexa opened the first E-85 pump in Arkansas, according to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition Database. E-85 fuel is a high-octane fuel blend, which is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, is produced domestically and has factors that reduces pollution. The price is currently $1.73 a gallon.
Taking up causes he has fought for in previous legislative sessions, Sen. Kim Hendren of Gravette spoke to a Senate committee about bills he has filed to limit cell phone use by drivers and require truck drivers to keep gravel loads covered. The Senate Transportation, Technology and Legislative Affairs Committee, of which Hendren is a member, took no action on either bill.
Sen. Dave Bisbee, joined by Rep. Keven Anderson, in proposing legislation to kill so-called “impact fees,” by which local communities pay the cost of increased public services and expensive new infrastructure by charging real estate developers.
House leaders say members who have ideas for projects they want the state to fund must judge for themselves whether a recent Supreme Court decision would allow it. The state Supreme Court in December struck down astate appropriation sending $400,000 to the Perry County town of Bigelow for miscellaneous improvements.
A plan to reorganize the Senate’s staff by eliminating the chief of staff’s job and putting the secretary of the state Senate in charge of daily operations and the staff was OK’d Monday by a Senate committee. The so-called Brotherhood faction of the state senate recently fired the long serving chief of staff.
State Rep. Steve Harrelson of Texarkana told Pat Lynch that a proposal is being circulated among Arkansas lawmakers to repeal the minimum wage increase for restaurant employees.
Fort Smith lawmakers hope to get the Legislature to set aside $25 million of the state surplus to go to the state Department of Parks and Tourism to pay for planning or construction of the long-sought federal marshals museum.
Little Rock’s plans to let beer and liquor drinkers roam some city streets first bent, then snapped under pressure from its River Market District. The city will not push for legislation in this session to create an entertainment district in the fashion of Beale Street in Memphis.
The Arkansas Ethics Commission notified former District 22 Prosecuting Attorney Robert Herzfeld by letter Friday that the citizens complaint filed against him by Sheriff Phil Mask had been dismissed.
State administrators expect an additional 2,500 children from low-income families to receive state-subsidized child care because of a recent increase in income eligibility levels.
Friday marked a new day for Arkansas and Phillips County as MFA Oil in Lexa opened the first E-85 pump in Arkansas, according to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition Database. E-85 fuel is a high-octane fuel blend, which is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, is produced domestically and has factors that reduces pollution. The price is currently $1.73 a gallon.
