House State Agencies Committee working overtime

House State Agencies/Governmental Affairs Chairman Jeff Wood convened the committee after adjournment today to begin going through the process of reviewing the proposed constitutional amendments. The committee will recommend measures to a joint committee made up of the House and Senate State Agencies Committees. That group can recommend up to three (actually four if one deals with certain circumstances of constitutional officers) to each side of the Capitol. If both bodies approve of a proposal, then it will be referred to the people. Today we heard the following proposals:

HJR1001 Sponsor: Saunders -- PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO INCREASE THE TERMS OF COUNTY OFFICIALS FROM TWO (2) YEARS TO FOUR (4) YEARS. Amend. 1

HJR1003 Sponsor: Ragland -- AMENDING THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO ABOLISH THE OFFICE OF CONSTABLE.

HJR1005 Sponsor: Bond -- PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO ESTABLISH A STATE LOTTERY TO HELP FUND COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS AND TEACHER BONUSES IN THIS STATE. Fiscal Impact Statement

No votes were taken today. Once we review all of the proposals, we'll vote on each of them as a committee on March 14th.