Senate policy lets members be muted

Senate President Pro Tempore Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, announced a change to that body’s procedure Monday that will allow its staff to mute members who participate in discussions by video-conference.

The move comes in response to two incidents in which state Sen. Stephanie Flowers, D-Pine Bluff, was punished by her colleagues for remarks made while participating in floor sessions by remote video.

Last month, following an exchange between Flowers and Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, Flowers could be heard calling Garner a “dumbass” from her video feed, which is broadcast over the Senate chamber’s speakers. Senators censured Flowers and barred her from participating in committee meetings for three days.

On Thursday, Flowers was questioning state Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, over his bill to refund fines incurred by businesses for violating state covid-19 regulations, when she brought up a lawsuit by Sullivan and other lawmakers against Gov. Asa Hutchinson challenging his emergency powers.

Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, who presides over the Senate, told Flowers to move on, prompting a verbal clash when she did not. The Senate then voted to bar Flowers from participating remotely for the rest of the day.

“Whoever is sitting in [the presiding officer’s] chair has to have respect to keep this body moving,” Hickey said Monday.

Hickey said that moving forward, senators participating remotely will have to signal their intent to speak, and that those speaking out of turn may be muted.

Flowers did not return a phone call seeking comment Monday.