First Legislation Filed For 2015 Session

A new bill and a new resolution were the first two pieces of legislation filed on the first day lawmakers were allowed.

Senate Joint Resolution 1 (SJR1) filed by Sen. Eddie Joe Williams, R-Cabot, was a shell bill for a proposed constitutional amendment “concerning civil claims and court procedures.” Supporters of the change refer to it as “civil justice reform,” while opponents call the proposal “tort reform.”

The legislature would have to refer the proposed measure from a Joint State Agencies Committee for potential voter approval in the 2016 general election.

The first House Bill 1002 (HB1002) – authored Rep. Warwick Sabin, D-Little Rock, and Sen. Jon Woods, R-Springdale – is also a shell bill that proposes to “make amendments and clarifications to the ethics laws” of the state.

Sabin and Woods were co-authors of a constitutional amendment approved by voters on Nov. 4th that altered the state’s ethics laws and extended term limits for lawmakers.