Spring break week has just concluded, but not just for students in Arkansas. Members of the state legislature have also taken this week off before they return to Little Rock on Monday for what has been a busy session.
District 3 State Rep. Stetson Painter recently recapped what’s been done and what’s to come for KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot News. Painter says several issues have been addressed since the session began this winter.
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A topic that has been considered controversial by many has been the potential construction of a new state correctional facility in Franklin County. Painter says he is of the belief Arkansas needs a new prison to combat overcrowding, but he has issues with the way the situation has been addressed.
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The legislature’s higher education bill was passed the same week President Donald Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the United States Department of Education. Painter says there may be some overlap between both issues.
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A couple of issues have gained local attention during the session, and one is a bill to abolish the Arkansas State Library and dissolve its board. Painter says he is not in favor of Senate Bill 536.
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Painter is co-sponsoring another bill that could have an effect in north central Arkansas. Senate Bill 290 would prohibit a moratorium on the issuance 16 of permits in watersheds and other 17 bodies of water. This comes a few years after C&H Hog Farm was permanently shuttered following its believed impact on the Buffalo National River watershed. Painter says while his name is on the bill as a co-sponsor, he prefers not to see another hog farm near the river.
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Medicaid will also be an issue expected to be addressed when the legislature returns. Painter says he has yet to see a plan, but he expects one sometime within the next week-and-a-half.
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