stephanie flowers
Arkansas Senate passes amended net metering after companion bill stalls on House floor
A thrice-amended bill that opponents say would upend the state’s burgeoning solar industry easily passed the Arkansas Senate on Tuesday. Senate Bill 295, sponsored by Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy), passed on a vote of 24-9 and was immediately sent to the House, where a twin bill awaits on the lower chamber’s floor that will likely […]
Arkansas Senate approves bill to hold libraries accountable for ‘obscene’ material
A bill that would open the door to criminal liability for the distribution of “obscene” content by school and public libraries passed the Arkansas Senate on a party-line vote Wednesday and will next be considered by the House. All six Senate Democrats voted against Senate Bill 81, and 27 Republicans voted for it while two […]
Proposed law to hold libraries accountable for ‘obscene’ material passes Arkansas committee
This story was updated at 7:29 p.m. on Feb. 20, 2023. An Arkansas Senate committee approved a bill Monday that would open the door to criminal liability for the distribution of “obscene” content by libraries. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to pass the bill after hearing testimony from only 16 of the […]
Panel dismisses testing requirement for private schools receiving public funds
The House Education Committee rejected a bill on Tuesday that would have required private schools receiving state funds to administer an annual statewide assessment test. A standardized exam mandate would allow parents to compare “apples to apples” when considering their child’s academic progress in public schools versus private, House Bill 1204 sponsor Jim Wooten (R-Beebe) […]
Anti-drag legislation passes Arkansas Senate in 29-6 party-line vote
A proposed law that would limit where drag performances can occur will head to the Arkansas House of Representatives after passing the Senate on a party-line vote Tuesday. Senate Bill 43 defines a “drag performance” as at least one person “exhibit[ing] a gender identity that is different from the performer’s gender assigned at birth using […]
Arkansas Senate suspends Clark for “frivolous” complaint, changes rules for future ethics filings
The Arkansas Senate voted to sanction Sen. Alan Clark (R-Lonsdale), who was not present at Tuesday’s Senate meeting, for filing a “spurious, frivolous and retaliatory” ethics complaint against Sen. Stephanie Flowers (D-Pine Bluff). The 26-4 vote came after three Senate Ethics Committee meetings and two full Senate meetings, bringing an end to several weeks of […]
Arkansas Senate delays decision on possible sanctions for senator’s complaint
The Arkansas Senate did not reach a decision Friday about whether to censure Sen. Alan Clark (R-Lonsdale) after he tried to present a case to his colleagues that the ethics complaint he filed against another senator was not “frivolous and retaliatory,” as the Senate Ethics Committee found last week. Senators did, however, vote unanimously to […]
Committee recommends suspension, demotion for senator for “frivolous and retaliatory” complaint
State Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, faces several possible sanctions after the Senate Ethics Committee decided Friday that his complaint against Sen. Stephanie Flowers, D-Pine Bluff, was “spurious, frivolous and retaliatory.” The committee met Sept. 1, Thursday and Friday, and members heard testimony and debated the complaint behind closed doors for a total of about 16 […]
Arkansas senators debate ethics complaint for 2nd day, decision expected Friday
The Arkansas Senate Ethics Committee on Thursday again failed to reach a decision after its second hours-long, closed-door meeting on a complaint state Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, filed in August against another senator. The committee met for almost 10 hours on Sept. 1 to discuss the complaint in executive session before agreeing to table the […]
Arkansas senators debate ethics complaint for hours with no outcome
The Arkansas Senate Ethics Committee did not reach a decision Thursday after almost 10 hours of privately debating a complaint that state Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, filed earlier this month against another senator. The committee will meet again Sept. 8 at noon and resume deliberations for “as much time as necessary in order to get […]
Arkansas Senate reviews complaint from disciplined senator
The Senate Ethics Committee will take action next Thursday on a complaint that state Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, filed earlier this month against another senator. The committee met Friday morning to review documents pertaining to the complaint filed Aug. 18. Chairman Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, sent the meeting into executive session immediately, so the substance […]