Arkansas - Digital Publishing

8 January 28, 2013 Arkansas Business
LEGISLATIVE ROUNDUP
WEEKLY REPORT
Legislature Enters Week 2 With Guns Blazing
By Mark Carter
MCarter@ABPG.com
The 89th General Assembly entered
week two with guns blazing. Well, with
gun bills, anyway.
Sen. Bryan King’s bill to allow concealed-carry
permit holders to “carry”
in churches that OK
the practice advanced
out of committee, as
did a resolution urging
the federal government
not to mess
with the Second
Amendment.
King, a Republican
from Green Forest,
Bryan King
advanced his Senate Bill 71 out of the
Senate Judiciary Committee, where it
awaits a full Senate vote this week.
The measure, which Gov. Mike
Beebe indicated he’d sign, would take
churches off the list of places where
concealed handguns are prohibited.
Churches would be given the choice to
allow guns or not, and would determine
who could carry them.
An amendment requiring churches
that allow guns to carry more insurance
was defeated.
Meanwhile, House Bill 1035 by
Rep. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith, would
allow trained faculty and staff to carry
on college campuses in the state. It
awaits a vote in the House Education
Committee.
A non-binding resolution by Rep.
Richard Womack, R-Arkadelphia,
would urge the federal government
not to infringe on Second Amendment
rights. It unanimously passed out of the
House State Agencies & Governmental
Affairs Committee with a full House
vote expected this week.
If passed, the resolution would be
distributed to President Barack Obama,
congressional leaders and other state
legislatures. Though his signature is
not required, Beebe told The Associated
Press last week that he supports the
measure.
Elsewhere, Sen. Joyce Elliott of Little
Rock filed the Arkansas Interdistrict
Public School Choice Act of 2013 (Senate
Bill 114). The veteran Democratic lawmaker,
who served three terms in the
House and is in her third Senate term,
Presented by
wants to replace the state’s school
choice law governing student transfers
between districts. Her bill would
allow transfers so long as a move didn’t
impact desegregation.
A bill filed in the session’s opening
week could compete with Elliott’s measure
for votes. Sen. Johnny Key’s Senate
Bill 65 amends existing law to allow students
one transfer per school year. The
Mountain Home Republican could run
the bill through the Senate Education
Committee this week.
Speaking of schools, Sen. David
Burnett, D-Osceola, filed a bill last
week that would create a capital grant
program for open enrollment charter
schools that would be administered by
the state Department of Education.
Democratic Rep. Butch Wilkins of
Bono filed legislation last week severely
limiting the circumstances under
which Arkansas insurance companies
could pay for abortions outside of a
separate rider. Wilkins’ House Bill 1100
would provide exceptions for rape,
incest and the safety of the mother,
something past legislation didn’t do.
In 2011, a measure not including such
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 25TH ANNUAL
ARKANSAS BUSINESS OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Business of the Year
– Category I
•American Data Network
•Buffalo Outdoor Center
•Community Bankers
Merchant Services, Inc.
•Haag Brown Commercial
Real Estate and Development
•PC Assistance
Business of the Year
– Category II
•All-Clean USA
•Kaufman Lumber Co.
•PrivacyStar
•US Compounding
•Winter Moving & Storage, Inc.
Business of the Year
– Category III
•Arkansas Surgical Hospital
• Arnold & Blevins Electric Co.
•Jan-Pro of Arkansas
•Tankersley Food Service, Inc.
•TME, Inc.
Nonprofit Executive of the Year
presented by AT&T
•Matt Dozier, EAST Inc.
•Brian Itzkowitz, Goodwill
Industries of Arkansas
exceptions passed in the Senate but
failed to advance out of House committee.
The bill likely will be heard in the
House Public Health, Welfare & Labor
Committee this week.
Under Sen. Keith Ingram’s Senate
Bill 108, filed last week and applying
to state income tax, businesses could
“extend the period for which a net operating
loss could be carried forward
to 10 years or until the loss has been
exhausted or absorbed by the taxable
income of a succeeding year, whichever
is greater.”
The West Memphis Democrat could
run the bill through Senate Revenue &
Tax this week.
Also last week, the House approved
a budget proposal that keeps salaries
flat for the state’s elected officials in
the executive, legislative and judicial
branches. The measure leaves the door
open for pay increases for state employees.
Check out all of Arkansas
Business’ legislative coverage at
ArkansasBusiness.com/89th-General-
Assembly. n
•Christie Jordan, Food Bank
of Northeast Arkansas
•Christina Littlejohn, Arkansas
Symphony Orchestra
•Peggy McCall, Miracle League
of Arkansas
Nonprofit Organization of the Year
presented by AT&T
•Bethlehem House, Inc.
•Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Arkansas Chapter
•Economics Arkansas
•Museum of Discovery
•Our House
Business Executive of the Year
•Sam Alley, VCC
•Don Cavenaugh, Cavenaugh
Auto Group
•Kevin Lamb, Advanced Tissue
•Brett Overman, All-Clean USA
•Jerry Spears, B&B Solutions
ARCF Outstanding
Philanthropic Awards
• City Plumbing, Heating &
Electric, Inc.
• Medic One Ambulance
• Lockheed Martin
• Jonesboro City Water & Light
special recognition