Non-Appropriations Resolutions In The Works

With the fiscal session less than two weeks away and lawmakers hesitant to open it up for non-budget measures, that’s not stopping some legislators from trying.

Sens. Jonathan Dismang (R-Beebe) and Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot) have filed a resolution to alter parole eligibility to prohibit anyone on the sex offender registry from being released early. Rep. David Sanders (R-Little Rock) has filed a companion resolution in the House.

Recently, a former music minister in Bryant, David Pierce, who was convicted of sexual indecency with children was granted parole after serving less than three years in prison on a 10-year sentence.

“Unfortunately, we can’t pass bills that are retroactive in nature,” Dismang tells Talk Business. “If this bill succeeds, it will only apply to sexual abuse convictions after the law’s effective date. If we don’t act now, another full year will pass, in which sexual predators may be provided early parole because of this apparent loophole in the law. I believe that this demands our immediate consideration and attention in order to protect our children and other potential victims. I hope my colleagues agree.”

“This problem in the code needs to be fixed,” said Sanders. “We’re putting high-level sex offenders back on the streets who have a very high probability to re-offend. It has to stop and needs to stop now.”

For a non-budget measure to be considered in the fiscal session, it will require a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate.

Last month, Rep. James McLean (D-Batesville) filed a non-budget resolution to limit elected officials’ mileage reimbursements to the same rate as state employees.

Currently, state employees are reimbursed 43 cents a mile for mileage, while legislators and other state elected officials can be reimbursed at a higher rate allowed by the IRS.

“This is an issue that I think has been on folks’ minds for a long time,” McLean said in a Thursday afternoon interview. “This is just a way to get it on the radar screen and talk about it. If we can’t deal with it in the fiscal session, maybe we can talk about internally.”

The call for consideration of measures beyond the scope of the session could prove tricky for Democratic and Republican leaders.

This week Democratic leadership in the House and Senate, which have slim majorities in both chambers, stated their intentions to not accept any non-budget measures for consideration beyond the Revenue Stabilization Act.

House Minority Leader Rep. John Burris (R-Harrison) said he largely agreed with Democrats’ call for bipartisanship, no tax increases, and a limit to the session’s narrow agenda.