Martin Luther King, Jr.-Robert E. Lee Bill Fails Again

On a fourth attempt, a bill seeking to get rid of a dual state holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Confederate general Robert E. Lee did not muster the support of a House committee Wednesday.

The House State Agencies & Governmental Affairs committee voted against House Bill 1119, sponsored by Rep. Fred Love, D-Little Rock.

Love told the committee that the bill would have set a state memorial day for Lee on the second Friday in January while honoring King on the third Monday in January.

Love said he believed the committee faced a difficult decision in the matter.

“Sometimes, leadership is hard,” Love told the committee.

No one spoke in favor or against the bill Wednesday. The committee also met Friday (March 20) to discuss the bill. However, no action was taken after the meeting ended due to a lack of a quorum.

The issue has been discussed in the capitol several times in the past three months, with supporters and opponents making their cases.

Love told the committee that Arkansas is one of three states in the country with a joint holiday honoring both men.

Love also said his bill was not attempting to disparage Lee or his place in history.

ELECTION BILLS
The committee also voted against two election-related bills for a second time Wednesday.

Both bills – House Bill 1422, sponsored by Rep. Nate Bell, R-Mena and House Bill 1425, sponsored by Rep. Clarke Tucker, D-Little Rock – failed by a voice vote during the meeting.

The bill from Bell would have amended state law by limiting the dates on which certain special elections could be held.

According to the bill, a special election could be held only during the May primary or November general election.

School board elections would have been exempt from the proposal. But millage votes could have been held in either May or November in addition to the September school election.

House Bill 1425 involved the issue of electioneering communications, or coordination between candidates and interest groups – a practice that has led to “dark money” being spent in Arkansas campaigns.

Under the bill, a person who spent at least $5,000 a year in electioneering communications would have to file a statement with the Secretary of State detailing the spending.

Supporters have said the bill would help transparency in campaigns, while opponents said the bill would infringe on the right of voters to exercise their First Amendment rights.