Legislative news
Peggy Harris with the Associated Press has an article this morning on an apparent plan by an armed felon in the Craighead County Courthouse to shoot an inmate on Monday (the plan was foiled when deputies got the tip that he was armed). The article discusses recent legislative action to improve security in our courtrooms, which I can say woefully lags behind our neighboring states. The 2007 legislation (Acts 576 and 1219) is a good step towards improving courtroom security in Arkansas, and I'm hopeful that we'll eventually have the resources in each of the 75 counties to prevent potential dangerous situations like Monday's Craighead County event.
The 2007 legislation resulted from recommendations made by a 2006 task force headed up by Miller County Circuit Judge Jim Hudson. In neighboring counties across the border in Texas/Louisiana, entry through a metal detector is required (as is the case in federal court and Pulaski County). People have the right to feel safe in public places, and this legislation is designed to help protect not only litigants and courtroom staff but jurors as well.
A project by three Harrisburg High School students to map school bus routes using satellite technology drew accolades Tuesday from state lawmakers who said the project could serve as a model for the rest of the state. [John Lyon -- Ark. News Bureau]
Act 668 of 2007, enacted as an attempt to fix a state wine statute, satisfies a coalition of Arkansas alcohol distributors and package stores that previously filed to have the statute declared unconstitutional. The group calls for an end to the lawsuit they filed last year in Pulaski County Circuit Court. [Daniel Nasaw -- ADG]
Term limits will hit Benton County particularly hard this election cycle, where only one of seven House members and one of two senators hope to return as lawmakers in 2009 (my former superintendent, Les Carnine, is considering a run for District 94). [Laura Kellams -- ADG]
Executive/Administrative:
Lt. Gov. Bill Halter spoke on the economy during a Tuesday luncheon in Bentonville hosted by the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce and Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. [TMN]
Rick Watkins replaces Sheffield Nelson on the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission [Ark. News Bureau]
The state Board of Finance on Tuesday decided to seek a 4. 66 percent interest rate from banks for $ 150 million in state funds to be invested through the board in six-month certificates of deposit. [Mike Wickline -- ADG]
The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism will make the first installment ($6.1M) on its share of a new Lake Fort Smith State Park by Saturday [ADG]
Richard Weiss, the director of the state Department of Finance and Administration, was (re-)sworn in to the post on Monday [ADG]
The 2007 legislation resulted from recommendations made by a 2006 task force headed up by Miller County Circuit Judge Jim Hudson. In neighboring counties across the border in Texas/Louisiana, entry through a metal detector is required (as is the case in federal court and Pulaski County). People have the right to feel safe in public places, and this legislation is designed to help protect not only litigants and courtroom staff but jurors as well.
A project by three Harrisburg High School students to map school bus routes using satellite technology drew accolades Tuesday from state lawmakers who said the project could serve as a model for the rest of the state. [John Lyon -- Ark. News Bureau]
Act 668 of 2007, enacted as an attempt to fix a state wine statute, satisfies a coalition of Arkansas alcohol distributors and package stores that previously filed to have the statute declared unconstitutional. The group calls for an end to the lawsuit they filed last year in Pulaski County Circuit Court. [Daniel Nasaw -- ADG]
Term limits will hit Benton County particularly hard this election cycle, where only one of seven House members and one of two senators hope to return as lawmakers in 2009 (my former superintendent, Les Carnine, is considering a run for District 94). [Laura Kellams -- ADG]
Executive/Administrative:
Lt. Gov. Bill Halter spoke on the economy during a Tuesday luncheon in Bentonville hosted by the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce and Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. [TMN]
Rick Watkins replaces Sheffield Nelson on the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission [Ark. News Bureau]
The state Board of Finance on Tuesday decided to seek a 4. 66 percent interest rate from banks for $ 150 million in state funds to be invested through the board in six-month certificates of deposit. [Mike Wickline -- ADG]
The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism will make the first installment ($6.1M) on its share of a new Lake Fort Smith State Park by Saturday [ADG]
Richard Weiss, the director of the state Department of Finance and Administration, was (re-)sworn in to the post on Monday [ADG]
posted by Steve Harrelson @ 6/27/2007 06:56:00 AM | Permalink |
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