While the 91st General Assembly failed to provide adequate highway funding and left the levy of Internet sales taxes on the table, but not in the state treasury, there were some bright spots in the many bills passed into law.
In another column I'll detail some of the negative bills of the 91st General Assembly, those which took up a lot of time, effort and may or may not have made the state a better place to live, work and run a small business.
But on to the good bills from the 91st General Assembly.
Here are some of the good bills found in the first 400 bills signed into law -- there have been 857 bills signed into law. I will detail the bills 401-857 next week.
Act 50: Reduce the developmental disabilities waiting list from more than 3,000 individuals down by 500 by the use of tobacco settlement proceeds. This is just a fraction of those on the waiting list.
Act 72: Modify the definition of "Chronic non-malignant pain" in combating the prescription drug abuse act.
Act 131: Amend the law concerning the extension of the expiration day for a driver's license belonging to a military member.
Act 141: Amend the Arkansas Tax Law and the Use of Tax Revenue used to create an income tax exemption for military retirement and survivor benefits; and other purposes.
Act 148: Adopt a productivity-based funding model for state-supported institutions of higher education.
Act 182: Expand access to paid maternity leave for state employees.
Act 209: Add human trafficking to the definitions of abuse and sexual abuse within the Arkansas Juvenile Code of 1989 and the Child Maltreatment Act.
Act 269: Place the War Memorial Stadium Commission under the authority of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism;
Act 281: Placement of a Gold Star Family Memorial Monument on the Arkansas Capitol Grounds.
Act 301 Amend the offense of domestic battering in the first degree and to make the offense consistent with the offense of battery in the first degree.
Act 329: Amend the law concerning a foster parent's access to records.
Act 367: Define the offense of aggravated assault upon a certified law enforcement officer or an employee of a correctional facility; to provide a more serious penalty for knowingly discharging a firearm at a law enforcement officer.
Act 371: The criminal offense of internet stalking of a child.
Act 375: Regulate equipment required for school buses to require that certain buses be equipped with seat belts.
Act 389: Prohibit cruelty towards certain types of equines under the criminal law.
Act 398: Allow the installation and operation of an automated school bus safety camera; and to use a photograph or video as evidence of certain traffic violations.
Act 399: Provide that sales by a cottage food production operation at an online farmer's market are exempt from the definition of a "food services establishment."
Act 400: Allow out-of-state law enforcement officers to follow a vehicle into Arkansas to investigate a felony or the operation of a vehicle while the driver is intoxicated, impaired or under the influence.
And don't forget House Concurrent Resolution 1003, which designates the Arkansaurus Friday as the official Arkansas Dinosaur.
More good bills passed in the 91st General Assembly next week.
-- Maylon Rice is a former journalist who worked for several northwest Arkansas publications. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 04/12/2017