Charter-panel bill gets Senate’s OK

The Senate passed a bill Monday to allow people outside the state Department of Education to sit on the Charter Authorizing Panel.

Senate Bill 304 by Sen. Jim Hendren, R-Sulphur Springs, passed 28-5. It heads to the House for further consideration.

Education Commissioner Johnny Key said the bill was broader than needed. Hendren said Monday that he grew tired of waiting for a bill from the department so he wrote his own.

Hendren said the commissioner should be empowered to choose whom he wanted to serve and that “we need to have people from inside the industry” to sit on the authorizing panel.

Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, who opposed the bill, said the panel should operate as originally envisioned and could call experts to testify.

— Brian Fanney