Budget, courts, 2nd Amendment, constitutional amendments on agenda this week at Capitol There are several major issues on the agenda this week at the state Capitol in Little Rock as lawmakers continue work before a scheduled recess on April 30. (Source: ABC/NBC) By Region 8 Newsdesk | April 18, 2021 at 2:05 PM CDT - Updated April 18 at 2:05 PM
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT) - There are several major issues on the agenda this week at the state Capitol in Little Rock as lawmakers continue work before a scheduled recess on April 30.
One of the main issues this week will be the state budget bills.
The proposal also included $50 million in tax cuts, as well as work on reducing the sales tax on used vehicles in the state. On Monday, the Senate is scheduled to vote on several budget bills including funding for the Department of Education, Department of Commerce, Department of Finance and Administration and ArDOT.
Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, presents House Bill 1671 to the Senate.
The Arkansas General Assembly has given final approval to a bill that would allow college athletes to enter into contracts and make money off their name and likeness.
The Senate voted 34-1 Tuesday to pass House Bill 1671, which establishes the Arkansas Student-Athlete Publicity Rights Act. Under the legislation, athletes at the collegiate level in the state will be able to enter into a contract and receive compensation for the use of their name, voice, signature, photograph or likeness.
Entering into such contracts would not impact a student’s scholarship eligibility, nor would collegiate athletes be paid to play their sport. Currently, states across the county are considering or have already passed similar legislation, including one in Florida that is set to go into effect this summer.
Bill Granting Publicity Rights To Arkansas College Athletes Heads To Governor kasu.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kasu.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
House Speaker Matthew Shepherd talks up the substitute hate crimes bill that passed Monday.
A watered-down substitute for a hate crime bill passed the House Monday, leaving Arkansas still among the only three states without meaningful legislation to protect commonly targeted groups.
The House passed Senate Bill 622 with 65 yes votes, 26 nos and five lawmakers voting present. The bill already has Senate approval, and now heads to the governor’s desk.
Governor Hutchinson has indicated he will sign the bill into law.
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House members pass SB 622, a substitute for the hate crimes bill rejected earllier this session.
The bill requires that someone convicted of committing crimes targeting victims based on their group or class to serve a minimum of 80% of his or her sentence. Unlike hate crimes bills in other states, though, this bill does not specify what those classes or groups are. House Speaker
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Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed a pair of identical bills Monday that will raise the state’s median teacher salaries by $2,000 and create a fund to help lower-paying districts reach that amount.
Senate Bill 504 by Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, and House Bill 1614 by Rep. Bruce Cozart, the chairs of the Senate and House Education Committees respectively, will raise the target median teacher salary to $51,822 for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. The House and Senate Committees afterwards would jointly set the statewide target median salary.
It also provides $25 million to create a Teacher Salary Equalization Fund that will provide $185 per student in districts that are below the median salary. According to the legislation, the gap between the highest average salary, $60,963, and the lowest of $39,578 was $21,385.