The Arkansas House of Representatives passed a rules package on Thursday. Speaker Matthew Shepherd told reporters afterward, that the early days of the 94th General Assembly have been “fun and enjoyable.”
The 41-minute meeting consisted mostly of preliminary matters. The main item on the agenda was the passage of a rule bill drafted by House Speaker Mathew Shepherd, R-El Dorado. Shepherd said he worked closely with the parliamentarian in drafting the package, which contained a few small changes from the one used in the 93rd General Assembly.
Perhaps the most substantial change governs how bills are scheduled in committee. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers were required to ask a chair to schedule their bills in committee. Now, the legislature is reverting to the original system where proposed bills are put straight on a committee’s agenda without the chair first having to schedule it.
“In going back to the old rule, we're probably erring on the side of making sure that members feel like they have the opportunity to bring that legislation forward,” Shepherd said. “Ultimately that’s positive for the public.”
Seven lawmakers voted present, with only Rep. Hope Hendren Duke, R-Gravette, voting against the bill.
Shepherd told reporters he is eager to work with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on an education bill.
“I think that when it comes to education that virtually everything has been looked at and likely everything is on the table,” he said. “We, along with many other states, have had some struggles and some difficulties.”
Shepherd said he did not want to comment on any specific legislation without first reading the bill.
