Latest news with #SenateBill640
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas House will consider proposal to remove and replace entire State Library Board
Kristin Stuart (left) expresses opposition to Senate Bill 640, co-sponsored by Rep. Howard Beaty (right), R-Crossett, before the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs on Monday, April 14, 2025. The bill would reconstitute the Arkansas State Library Board. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) An Arkansas House committee approved a proposal Monday to remove all seven members of the State Library Board and allow Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to replace them later this year. Senate Bill 640 passed the Senate Thursday with support from 27 Republicans. Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, and Rep. Howard Beaty, R-Crossett, filed the bill late Wednesday night, less than two hours after Senate Bill 536 hit a dead end with a week left in the legislative session. Beaty was among a bipartisan group of members of the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs to vote against SB 536. The bill would have abolished both the Arkansas State Library and its board and transferred their powers and responsibilities to the state Department of Education. Beaty told the same committee Monday that the current board should be replaced because of its 'dysfunction' and 'infighting.' Arkansas Senate approves State Library Board overhaul after dissolution bill fails 'There were legitimate concerns that were raised, and those haven't been addressed,' he said. '[It shows] the lack of consideration of what we need in this state and what our constituents are telling us.' Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, filed SB 536 last month in response to the State Library Board's failure to pass two measures he requested as conditions for him to drop his promise to abolish the board. Sullivan has targeted the State Library for its affiliation with the American Library Association, which he claims is a leftist political organization, and for the board's refusal to adopt policies directing public libraries to keep certain materials out of the hands of minors. The board rejected both efforts with a 4-3 vote in March. The latter would have created nonbinding policies to protect children from 'sexually explicit' content in libraries and detached the State Library from the ALA. The three board members who supported Sullivan's requests were all Sanders appointees: former Republican state senator Jason Rapert of Conway, who moved to approve the requests; Shari Bales of Hot Springs, whom the Senate confirmed alongside Rapert; and Sydney McKenzie of Rogers, who joined the board in January and is married to GOP Rep. Brit McKenzie. Rapert has been the board's most outspoken advocate for keeping 'sexually explicit' content out of children's reach and has called for the board's abolition due to the majority's consistent refusal to back his efforts. SB 640 would require the seven new members to draw lots determining how their terms will be staggered, ending between one and seven years from when the bill becomes law. Subsequent appointees would serve seven-year terms, the current length of time board members serve. Those terms end in October every year, and Rep. Julie Mayberry reminded the committee that Sanders will be able to appoint a new board member in just a few months. The Republican lawmaker from Hensley said she would not support SB 640 because she personally knows and respects a State Library Board member. 'I know her work and her dedication to students, to families across the state is exemplary,' Mayberry said. 'There's no reason to eliminate every single position on this board.' Lupe Peña de Martinez of Mabelvale is a former principal at a public school in East End, which is in Mayberry's House district, and her term on the State Library Board is currently set to expire in 2028. At the March board meeting in which Sullivan's two requested motions failed, Peña de Martinez made a successful motion to create nonbinding policies aimed at protecting children in libraries while honoring the First Amendment and library material selection standards. All three Sanders appointees voted against the motion. Nothing in SB 640 would prevent current State Library Board members from being reappointed, said Rep. David Ray, R-Maumelle. He and other Republicans expressed support for the bill as an alternative to SB 536, particularly since SB 640 does not involve the Department of Education in the State Library's responsibilities. Lawmakers and members of the public both included this as a reason to oppose SB 536. Mayberry joined the committee's three Democrats in voting against SB 640. House Minority Leader Andrew Collins, D-Little Rock, challenged Beaty's assertion about State Library Board 'dysfunction.' 'They are continuing to have meetings [and] they are continuing to make decisions, even if they're not the decisions that some people would like,' Collins said. 'It's a functional board. It's just a board that some people disagree with.' Collins said he did not believe the Legislature should set a precedent of reconstituting state boards if some lawmakers are frustrated with them. Beaty said he disagreed and was 'not concerned in the slightest' about setting such a precedent. Kristin Stuart of Little Rock, the only audience member to speak against SB 640, agreed with Collins that the proposal is a 'power grab.' She said reconstituting the board would 'disrupt its mission' of supporting Arkansas libraries and preserving people's access to information and learning. '[SB 640 is] opening the door for political appointees who may not have the experience, objectivity or commitment to intellectual freedom that the board requires,' Stuart said. The State Library Board is scheduled to meet the second Friday in May and in August. If SB 640 passes the House this week and if Sanders signs it, it will go into effect Aug. 1, and it gives Sanders 30 days to replace the board. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill introduced in Arkansas legislature makes third attempt to disassemble state library board
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A bill introduced in the Arkansas legislature on Wednesday is an additional attempt to disassemble the state library board. Senate Bill 640 would remove all the current members of the state library board and have Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appoint seven people in their place for staggered terms. Typically, the governor makes library board appointments for seven-year terms. Jason Rapert calls on Arkansas legislators to abolish state library board The bill comes after two earlier bills to eliminate the board and turn it over to the Department of Education (DOE) failed to reach the Senate floor after appearing in committee. Senate Bill 184 intended to abolish both the board and the state Educational Television Commission but was withdrawn by its sponsor, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Jonesboro), who explained to the committee that he had come to an agreement with the television commission about needed changes. Sullivan then introduced Senate Bill 536 to turn just the library board over to the DOE, but it failed to clear the committee due to a lack of votes. Legislation to remove Arkansas Library Board passes in committee hearing SB640 was introduced by Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy). It passed the Senate and committee hearings the day after it was introduced. It is moving quickly through the House and is currently before the House State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee. The legislature is due to dismiss this Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas Senate approves State Library Board overhaul after dissolution bill fails
Sen. Jonathan Dismang (left), R-Searcy, watches the Senate vote on SB 640, which would remove the seven members of the Arkansas State Library Board and allow the governor to replace them, on Thursday, April 10, 2025. Sen. Dan Sullivan (right), R-Jonesboro, sponsored a bill to abolish the State Library and its board, but a House committee rejected it on April 9. Next to Sullivan is Sen. Matt Stone, R-Camden. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansas lawmakers are considering removing all seven members of the State Library Board and allowing Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to replace them later this year. Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, filed the bill Wednesday night, less than two hours after a House committee rejected Senate Bill 536, a proposal to abolish both the State Library and its board and transfer their powers and responsibilities to the Arkansas Department of Education. Senate Bill 640 received initial committee approval Thursday morning and passed the full Senate in the afternoon. Bills usually are not heard by the full House or Senate until at least a day after passing committees, but the Senate suspended the rules Thursday to hear bills that had passed committee that morning. The seven-member State Library Board disburses state funds to public libraries on a quarterly basis. It has appeared 'fairly dysfunctional' at its recent meetings, so the Legislature should 'wipe the board clean,' Dismang told the Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs. At a special meeting in March, the board rejected two motions with a 4-3 vote. They would have created nonbinding policies to protect children from 'sexually explicit' content in libraries and detached the State Library from the American Library Association. By the same split vote, the board passed a separate motion aimed at protecting children in libraries while honoring the First Amendment and library material selection standards. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, filed SB 536 in response to the two failed motions, which he had asked the board to pass in order to ensure its survival. Sullivan has targeted the library board for its refusal to adopt policies directing public libraries to keep certain materials out of the hands of minors. Arkansas senator continues mission to eliminate State Library Board, cites unfulfilled bargain Dismang told the Advocate that Sullivan's requests were 'not extreme' and should not have been difficult for the board to accommodate, particularly the one regarding content accessible to minors. 'I don't think anyone's innocent in the way that those conversations are happening on that board,' he said. '…The tact both ways was not something that I was really impressed with, so starting over makes sense.' The three board members who supported Sullivan's requests were all Sanders appointees: former Republican state senator Jason Rapert, who moved to approve the requests; Shari Bales, whom the Senate confirmed alongside Rapert, and Sydney McKenzie, who joined the board in January and is married to Rogers Republican Rep. Brit McKenzie. SB 640 would require the seven new members to draw lots determining how their terms will be staggered, ending between one and seven years from when the bill becomes law. Subsequent appointees would serve seven-year terms, the current length of time board members serve. Sens. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, and Clarke Tucker, D-Little Rock, were the only Senate State Agencies committee members to oppose sending SB 640 to the Senate floor Thursday. Both voted against SB 536 on the floor last week, when the Senate passed the bill with 18 votes, the slimmest possible margin. King, Democratic Sen. Reginald Murdock of Marianna and GOP Sen. Ron Caldwell of Wynne did not vote on SB 640 Thursday afternoon. The Senate's 27 other Republicans voted for SB 640. The remaining five Senate Democrats, including Tucker, voted against the bill, though Sen. Fred Love, D-Mabelvale, was erroneously recorded as voting in favor. Tucker told the Senate last week that the Legislature has the authority to reconstitute the State Library Board instead of dissolving it if lawmakers are dissatisfied with it. He said Thursday in an interview that SB 640 'is the least harmful version of anything that we can do,' but he opposed the bill because he didn't believe reconstituting the board was necessary. The House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs, the same panel that rejected SB 536, will be next to hear SB 640. All six Senate Democrats and four Republicans, including King, voted against confirming Rapert to the State Library Board in December 2023. King and Tucker expressed concern during Thursday's committee meeting that Rapert might be reappointed if SB 640 becomes law. The bill does not preclude current members from reappointment. When asked via email Thursday whether he would seek reappointment, Rapert said his appointment to the board was Sanders' choice, not his, and he believes he has 'done the job' expected of him. 'I fight for what is right and will continue to do so in all arenas of government,' said Rapert, founder of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, a conservative group responsible for model legislation introduced in several statehouses nationwide, including bans on abortion and gender-affirming medical care. During his tenure on the board, Rapert has repeatedly sought to withhold state funds from libraries where 'sexually explicit' content is within children's reach. The board has consistently voted against this proposal, and Rapert has called for the dissolution of the board. He said he would have been satisfied with SB 536 becoming law but believed the passage of SB 640 would still be 'a blessing.' 'My hope is that new members on the board will allow for policies to be adopted to encourage our public libraries to ensure that children are protected from exposure to sexually explicit materials inappropriate for their age,' Rapert said. 'That has been my goal since day one… We would not be at this point if the members of that board had listened and taken positive action.' The State Library Board is scheduled to meet the second Friday in May and in August. If SB 640 becomes law, it will go into effect Aug. 1, and it gives Sanders 30 days to replace the board. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Board Chairwoman Deborah Knox said in an interview that she was 'encouraged' that the State Library is no longer likely to be abolished but 'discouraged' that she might lose her position. The board will be more likely to endorse Rapert's efforts to detach from the American Library Association and to 'sequester books' based on appropriateness for minors if all seven members are Sanders appointees, Knox said. 'I do feel that the State Library Board is essential and the Arkansas State Library itself is essential,' Knox said. 'So any way that it can continue, I'm for [that] even if I'm not a part of it.' Earlier this year, Sullivan sponsored Senate Bill 184, which would have abolished both the State Library Board and the Arkansas Educational Television Commission, the panel that oversees Arkansas PBS. He and the commission chair said in March that they had reached an agreement that kept the PBS commission alive; Sanders appointed Sullivan's wife to the panel last year. SB 536 would have codified several new criteria for libraries to receive state funds, including minimum hours of operation per year and 'prohibit[ing] access to age-inappropriate materials to a person who is sixteen (16) years old or younger.' Dismang was one of three senators to vote present on SB 536. He told the Advocate Thursday that despite his concerns about the current board, he believed the State Library should continue to exist, partly because it oversees historical records that SB 536 would have transferred to the Department of Education. SB 640's House sponsor, Rep. Howard Beaty, R-Crossett, was among the bipartisan opposition to SB 536 during Wednesday's committee meeting. He said the conflict surrounding the State Library Board 'could have been resolved very easily' if people on both sides had not 'dug their heels in and decided they weren't going to negotiate.' Sullivan amended SB 536 Wednesday, meaning it would have had to receive Senate approval again before going to Sanders' desk. The Legislature will not meet Friday and plans to conclude the session next Wednesday, making it difficult for SB 536 to complete the legislative process if House State Agencies were to reconsider and pass the bill. The amendment to SB 536 removed a requirement for libraries' collections not to have any materials that state law considers 'harmful to minors' in order to receive state funding. Sullivan said he amended the bill 'at the request of librarians and community members.' One of those community members was Victoria Kelley of Yellville, she told the Advocate Thursday. She said SB 640 concerned her because she disagreed with dismissing 'entire boards without justifying the 'cause' for what individuals did wrong,' which continues 'a bad precedent' that began in her home of Marion County. In December, County Judge Jason Stumph and the county Quorum Court dismissed the local library's existing board members and later replaced them all in January. Stumph said the previous board failed to supervise Dana Scott, the director of the Yellville library who was dismissed and arrested Dec. 2 for alleged financial crimes. Marion County officials appoint new library board, accept interim library manager's resignation Staggered terms on the State Library Board are 'meant as a buffer to the kind of personal and partisan targeting we're seeing' so that one governor cannot 'overhaul' the body, Kelley said. Kristin Stuart of Little Rock told the Advocate she had similar frustrations. She sought to speak against SB 640 during Thursday's State Agencies committee meeting, but chairman Sen. Scott Flippo, R-Bull Shoals, denied her the opportunity because she had not signed up in advance. 'I think it's really just insane that they want to dismantle the board after the outright abolition [bill] failed,' Stuart said. 'It's a power grab. It's an attempt to politicize a body that's operated independently for decades without partisan interference.' Two good things about SB 640, Kelley said, are that the State Library will continue to exist and that new members will not make it easier for the board to 'upend the Constitution.' SB 536 had similarly 'fatal' language as Act 372 of 2023, Arkansas Library Association (ArLA) President-elect Adam Webb said Wednesday. A federal judge blocked portions of the Sullivan-sponsored law last year on First Amendment grounds, and the state is appealing the ruling. The ArLA is neutral on SB 640, Webb said Thursday. The blocked sections of Act 372 would have given local elected officials the final say over whether to relocate challenged library materials some consider 'obscene' and made librarians legally liable for disseminating such materials. Webb and ArLA are among 18 plaintiffs that challenged the law. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
CBS News
12-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
California senator wants to automatically admit qualified students to CSU system
WEST SACRAMENTO — The stress of submitting college applications may soon be a thing of the past in California. Some students could automatically be getting a congratulatory college acceptance letter. State Senator Christopher Cabaldon is introducing Senate Bill 640, which would give California high school graduates guaranteed acceptance into the California State University (CSU) system. "If you have a 2.0 GPA and you take the right classes, then you can just go," Cabaldon said. The proposal could also help CSU campuses that have been struggling financially due to having fewer students. "There are seven or eight or nine campuses that are experiencing enrollment declines," Cabaldon said. The idea is based in part on the City of West Sacramento's college promise program, which Gabaldon helped create when he was the city's mayor and guarantees all local high school students acceptance into community college. "The vision really was to make West Sacramento the best place to raise a kid in the country," said Jennifer Laflam, dean of Sacramento City College's West Sacramento center. Educators say the program has been a big success in allowing more youth to get an advanced degree. "It is a really smart idea because early on, we are investing in our state's future," Laflam said. Cabaldon said the proposal will have a minimal impact on the state budget but a big impact on students whose higher education can get them higher-paying jobs. "For many students, they don't even know that that's an option for them," Cabaldon said. "They're thinking, 'I could never go to the state university,' but you can." If passed, CSU officials will determine how many of the system's 23 campuses have enrollment capacity, so students may not be able to automatically get into the most popular schools.
