Panel endorses bid to add Voter ID to Arkansas constitution
LITTLE ROCK — A House committee has endorsed an effort to ask voters next year to put a voter ID requirement in Arkansas’ constitution.
The House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday advanced the resolution to put the proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot in November 2018. The resolution now heads to the full House.
The proposal is one of two efforts to reinstate a voter ID law struck down by the Arkansas Supreme Court in 2014 as unconstitutional. A Housepassed proposal to reinstate the law is pending before the state Senate.
The Legislature can refer up to three amendments to voters, but the House and Senate have approved rules aimed at limiting the proposed ballot measures to two.
Arkansas commission approves medical marijuana rules
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’ Medical Marijuana Commission has approved a final set of rules on how businesses can cultivate and sell the drug.
The rules approved Tuesday will now go up for public comment, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. Lawmakers must adopt them no later than May 8. Commissioners are expected to hold a hearing March 31.
Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman, the commission’s chairman, said questions remain about who would educate patients and ensure safety.
“People who want it are thinking about the relief that it provides them,” she said. “Others are thinking dollar signs and business plans, but … the safety of that individual has to be considered as well.”
Lawmakers and Gov. Asa Hutchinson approved a bill removing a requirement in the voter-approved Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment that physicians certify “the potential benefits of the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks for the qualifying patient.”
The bill’s sponsor Republican Rep. Douglas House said the change was necessary to get physicians to participate, since there aren’t medical marijuana guidelines in place that would help them weigh the pros and cons of a particular patient’s use of the drug.
In December, the commission determined to allow for 32 dispensaries and five cultivation facilities. The commission will choose growers based on their applications’ merits. Dispensaries would be able to grow up to 50 “mature” plants.
An application to become a grower is expected to cost $15,000. Applicants not chosen would receive $7,500 back, and successful applicants would have to pay an annual $100,000 licensing fee.
Dispensaries not growing marijuana would pay an annual licensing fee of $2,500. While dispensaries growing their own plants would have to pay an annual fee of $25,000.
Arkansas lawmakers consider civics test for students
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas House of Representatives has passed a bill requiring high school students to pass the U.S. naturalization test in order to receive their diploma.
The bill that moved on to the Senate Wednesday requires students to correctly answer 60 out of 100 questions on a civics test identical to the one used by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that’s taken by immigrants seeking citizenship.
The test is free and students would be allowed to take it as many times as necessary between the 9th and 12th grades until they pass.
Republican Rep. Bruce Cozart says 15 states currently have the requirement, and 22 more states are considering similar legislation. Cozart says people need to know the information in the test to be productive citizens.
Before the bill passed the House, Cozart was questioned about whether another test would burden students. According to the representative, the exam would only take about an
hour and that it’s a “very simple test.”
To become naturalized citizens, immigrants must go through a long list of requirements, including passing a 10-question civics test on U.S. government and history. Some questions that may be on the test include, ‘What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?’ and ‘If both the president and vice president can no longer serve, who becomes president?’
1 dead in fiery Arkansas crash of semi hauling ammunition
MULBERRY — Arkansas State Police say Interstate 40 in western Arkansas is shut down following a fiery tractor-trailer accident that killed the driver of the semi that was carrying about 40,000 pounds of ammunition.
Trooper Liz Chapman says the crash occurred near Mulberry and that both east and west bound lanes of the interstate would likely remain closed until at least early Wednesday night.
Chapman said details of the crash and the name of the victim were not immediately known, but said the fire is out and there is danger in the area due to the ammunition. She had no information on the type of ammunition being transported.
Chapman said Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department officials were inspecting an I-40 overpass at the scene for possible structural damage.
Fired Hardy police chief under state police investigation
HARDY — Arkansas State Police are investigating fired Hardy Police Chief Scott Rose for alleged theft and fraud.
State Police Trooper Liz Chapman says the investigation is at the request of prosecuting Attorney Henry Boyce. Boyce said he was asked by Hardy Mayor Jason Jackson to investigate allegations of felony theft and fraud by Rose.
Jackson declined comment on details of the investigation.
Rose told The Jonesboro Sun that he encouraged the investigation to prove the allegations against him are not true.
Rose was fired in January for what Jackson said was insubordination, fraudulent behavior and abuse of his position of authority.
The Hardy City Council on Tuesday named interim Police Chief Tamara Taylor as police chief.
Arkansas State suspends fraternity, sorority social events
JONESBORO — Arkansas State University has suspended all fraternity and sorority social events until April 1 after a student was accused of raping a woman at a fraternity party.
The letter was sent out Tuesday by the university’s Greek Life officials. The suspension includes “all registered social events, drop-ins, formals, semi-formals, date nights” or any other social events.
The university says it will host mandatory “risk-reduction” training sessions in March for fraternity and sorority members.
Last week, an ASU student was arrested on suspicion of rape and aggravated assault for an incident at the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity house that was reported earlier this month.