Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Arkansas Politics UPDATE: Guns and fetuses and vote suppression
Posted by Max Brantley on Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 1:27 PM
Wednesday is typically a light day at the Capitol, but there are a few odds and ends of note:
* VOTE SUPPRESSION: The Republican Party bill to require photo ID at the polls as a means of depressing Democratic turnout is up for a vote today in the Senate. It will pass the Republican-controlled chamber. An effort to amend it awaits in the House. During Senate debate, David Goins reports, Sen. Linda Chesterfield called Bryan King's bill a "backdoor poll tax." No matter. It passed 23-12. Democrats Bruce Maloch and Larry Teague voted for the bill. Democrats are saying that a Republican senator confirmed the obvious on the floor — this bill will help elect Republicans. No video of the Senate, unfortunately. Anybody have a Flipcam?
* GUNS: The bill to allow guns on college campuses (for staff, subject to governing board approval), already passed in the House, came out of a Senate committee this morning.
* RICH BOYS' TOYS: Rep. Prissy Hickerson's bill is headed to a final vote in the Senate. It would eliminate the part of the law that allows cities to restrict operation of golf courts on city streets to the path between homes and golf courses. Why should golf cart transport be limited to the country club environs? Now those prepster hooligans in the Heights can range much farther afield with impunity (already effectively enjoyed).
* COMING ATTRACTIONS — FETUSES, FETUSES AND MORE FETUSES: The House agenda for Thursday includes votes on two bills unconstitutional under federal court precedent because they'd ban many abortions before viability of the fetus — Rep. Andy Mayberry at 20 weeks, Sen. Jason Rapert at 12. Each is bad in its own special way. Mayberry's because it would keep a few dozen women with dreadful medical dilemmas from pursuing all medical options. Rapert's because of its full-frontal deprivation of the rights of women to make a decision three months before any hope of viability. A third bill allows pregnant women to shoot anyone they think is threatening their fetus. It's a castle doctrine bill. No retreat is necessary. Fire when ready, ladies. Dead men tell no tales.
Speaking of Arkansas Legislature, guns And Fetuses
-
Guns and fetuses: A legislative review
May 16, 2013Crazy Davy Carter, the House speaker who is a potential Republican candidate for governor, won headlines all over today for remarks at a legislative conference in Hot Springs that Republicans need to move beyond guns and abortion to focus on issues more important to average Arkies. /more/
-
Flash: Texas grows enlightened on women's issues
May 7, 2013Interesting story from Texas on the Texas legislature. Republicans, who control nearly everything in Texas, apparently suffered huge blowback from their war on women in the last legislative session that cut health care to women in the battle to destroy Planned Parenthood. /more/
-
Dumas: Obamacare covered a sorry legislative record
April 23, 2013Ernie Dumas writes this week that the 2013 legislature's approval of Obamacare, against long odds, made up for a multitude of sins. /more/
-
Guns, fetuses, God and Obamacare: The legislature wraps it up
April 23, 2013At 9:17 a.m., the House adjourned until a formal close May 17. The Senate should follow in short order, if it hasn't already. /more/
-
Now the legislature cuts up the swag
April 22, 2013If no detours develop, the Arkansas legislature should finish tomorrow and go home. Today and tomorrow will be primarily devoted to passage of the revenue stabilization act, which guides overall state spending, and — much more important to individual members — approval of expenditures from the General Improvement Fund, a surprlus account. /more/
-
What, me worry? Beebe to sign tax cuts
April 19, 2013Gov. Mike Beebe said today that he'd sign a raft of tax cut bills — heavily tilted toward the wealthy — that could reduce state income by $140 million or more in three years. /more/
-
Morning report: Won't you go home Arkansas legislature?
April 19, 2013The Friday morning warmup: * THE RUSH TO ADJOURN: "Deliberative" is not a word that applies to the death rattle of the Arkansas legislature — not when the Senate rushes out, with virtually no debate, $150 million or so in tax cuts on everything from baling wire purchases to multi-million-dollar windfalls on unearned income for corporate capitalists. /more/
-
Blanche Lincoln speaks out for rights of Arkansas women
April 12, 2013It's a measure of how cynical people had become about former U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln that an opinion piece she's posted on Huffington Post has people wondering what her ulterior motive might be. /more/
-
Morning report: Democrats say 'Save Our Session'
April 9, 2013Good morning. What's good about it you ask? /more/
-
Legislature works on Saturday
April 6, 2013Yes, the legislature is meeting today. Lengthy agendas full of bad legislation in a compressed time period is not a formula for good government. /more/
- More »
Comments (25)
Showing 1-25 of 25
More by Max Brantley
-
New state historian chosen
Dr. Lisa Speer, an Arkansas native who has been director of special collections at Southeast Missouri State University, has even named the new state historian.
- Apr 22, 2013
-
Legislature today: The final push on tort reform proposals
Constitutional amendments will be discussed by the legislature's state agencies committees today and competing proposals for changes to law governing damage lawsuits ("tort reform") are at the top of the agenda.
- Apr 5, 2013
- More »
Event Calendar
-
Re: Democrats go after Cotton for trying to criminalize family relationship
Accused, not convicted? Hmmmmmmmm, he should be very vigilant and careful regarding his own conduct…
- on May 23, 2013
-
Re: UPDATE: University of Arkansas Board votes to keep guns off campuses
Of the state supported colleges, the current is in favor and all the rest…
- on May 23, 2013
-
Re: UPDATE: University of Arkansas Board votes to keep guns off campuses
Griz
Look up satire on your smart phone dictionary app.- on May 23, 2013
Top Commenters
Blogroll
Slideshows
-
May 16, 2013
Site Index
News
Cover Story / Arkansas Reporter / The Week That Was / Smart Talk / The Insider / The Observer / Editorial / Max Brantley / Ernest Dumas / Gene Lyons / Bob Lancaster / Words / Guest Writer / Letters
Entertainment
A&E Feature / To-Do List / In Brief / Movie Reviews / Music Reviews / Theater Reviews / A&E News / Art Notes / Graham Gordy / Books / Media / Dining Reviews / Dining Guide / What's Cookin' / Calendar / The Televisionist / Movie Listings / Gallery Listings
This Week's Cover
Quick Links
Special Publications
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
