Bill allowing Marshallese as peace officers rejected

A bill that would allow the Marshallese population in Arkansas to serve in all branches of law enforcement failed in a House committee Monday.

House Bill 1342, by Megan Godfrey, D-Springdale, would let people living in the state under a Compact of Free Association treaty to be a certified law enforcement officer. The vast majority of those Arkansans are Marshallese, and under the treaty they do not have a path to U.S. citizenship.

The legislation had support from Marshallese leaders, the state Department of Public Safety, a bipartisan group of legislators and Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Some members of the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs said they were not comfortable with allowing noncitizens to serve as state police or auxiliary officers.

“I heard the testimony at the end of the table where this community doesn’t trust outsiders, and yet we’re asked to trust them with police powers. I’ve seen other examples around the nation and in foreign countries where people form sects in their own little area of town where they try to shut out local police from their own jurisdiction,” said Rep. John Payton, R-Wilburn.

Rep. Fred Love, D-Little Rock, said mistrust of law enforcement in the Marshallese community could be a result of the language barrier, something having Marshallese officers could remedy.

Others said they would prefer to see allowing Marshallese to serve in law enforcement as a rule change, rather than as the legislation that Godfrey presented.

Rep. David Whitaker, D-Fayetteville, noted that Marshallese people already serve in the U.S. military.

“They raise their right hand. They swear on the same constitution we do to serve. They choose to serve. Under the compact, they’re allowed to live here their whole lives, many indeed from childhood have, and if we don’t do this, we foreclose on their opportunity to serve our communities,” Whitaker said.

The bill initially passed in a voice vote but failed to gain enough support in a roll call vote. The vote was 7-4, with several committee members not voting.