By Jacqueline Froelich KUAF
A century before Roe v. Wade federally legalized abortion in America, girls and women in Arkansas seeking to prevent or terminate unwanted pregnancies were often required to resort to extreme measures. Independent historian Melanie K. Welch, Ph.D. chronicles the history of contraception and abortion in Arkansas.
J. Froleich/KUAF
Lavender was a common herb consumed by women in the 19th century as an abortifacient.
KUAR | By Ronak Patel
Arkansas lawmakers have been notified by the state Department of Finance and Administration that the U.S Treasury is trying to rescind COVID-19 relief funds that are used by states to supplement tax cuts.
During next month’s special session, legislators will consider Gov. Asa Hutchinson's plan to accelerate the tax cuts passed in 2021 that will lower the personal income tax and the corporate tax rate while including a low-income tax credit.
In an interview with KUAR News, Senate President Pro Tem Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, said lawmakers have been working with state finance officials to find out how much could be rescinded. He said the number has ranged from slightly less than $100 million to $800 million.
Michael Hibblen/KUAR News
Next month, lawmakers will decide whether to accelerate the tax cuts approved in 2021 to lower the income tax rate and corporate tax rate.
KUAR | By Daniel Breen
Advocates for access to affordable healthcare are celebrating the 57th anniversary of the Medicaid program.
Organizers with Arkansas Community Organizations on Wednesday delivered cupcakes to employees of the state Department of Human Services in recognition of the key program. It began under President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 and now serves as many as 74 million low-income and disabled Americans.
Speaking outside the office on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Little Rock, the group's Loriee Evans said it’s important to celebrate the program which provides healthcare coverage for roughly a third of all Arkansans. Evans says as many as 300,000 of the roughly 1 million Arkansans receiving Medicaid could lose coverage if the federal COVID-19 public health emergency ends in October.
Daniel Breen/KUAR News
Volunteers with Arkansas Community Organizations hold signs Wednesday celebrating the anniversary of Medicaid in front of the Arkansas Department of Human Services office on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Little Rock.
KUAR | By Ronak Patel
In next month’s special session of the Arkansas Legislature, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and lawmakers say they will try to provide tax relief for Arkansans struggling with inflation.
One item on the agenda will be making changes to a tax deduction known as Section 179, which is used by businesses to help pay for equipment. Lawmakers want the state’s deduction rate to match the federal government’s.
Currently, Arkansas provides a deduction of up to $25,000 for equipment costing up to $200,000 with a phase out beginning after that point. Scott Hardin, director of communications for the Department of Finance and Administration, said the amount deducted is also determined based on the taxable income of the business.
Arkansas Week/
Gov. Asa Hutchinson says lawmakers are discussing strategies for providing economic relief to Arkansans during next month's special session.
by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)
The first tangible signs that the beef cattle industry in Arkansas is retracting are now visible. Cattle farmers throughout the South and West are culling herds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics (NASS) report.
As of July 1, there were an estimated 98.8 million head of cattle nationwide, a 2% drop in total from 2021, the report states. It’s the lowest cattle inventory level in the U.S. since 2015 when the industry endured a severe collapse during the fall of that year.
Drought conditions have spread throughout the South and West and now are impacting nearly every state in the country including Alaska and Hawaii, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In Arkansas three counties – Fulton, Sharp, and Randolph – are classified as D3 or in extreme drought. The only category that is worse is D4 or exceptional drought.
What’s the state of Arkansas education as a new academic year nears? Schools are emphasizing workforce education opportunities, offering mostly in-person instruction rather than educating students remotely, and trying to be safer and more secure in the wake of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
The programs are part of an emphasis in Arkansas schools on workforce skills. The state helps fund 30 career center programs like Saline County’s, which is affiliated with Arkansas State University Three Rivers, and Fort Smith’s, which is affiliated with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.
When Gov. Asa Hutchinson took office in 2015, 54 school districts were not served by a program. Only one, the Piggott School District, remains, but a satellite center managed by Black River Technical College will offer manufacturing and welding starting in January. Those classes will be especially useful in a part of the state where manufacturing, particularly the steel industry, is growing.
by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
A day after a Talk Business & Politics report that state finance officials told lawmakers the state could be facing an $800 million clawback provision of federal funds, a new memo seeks to negate that possibility.
Federal officials have outlined guidelines to recoup money sent to the states during the COVID-19 pandemic if those funds were used for tax cut purposes. With Gov. Asa Hutchinson planning an early August special session to accelerate tax cuts, lawmakers have been pressing for more information.
Originally and according to TB&P sources, the Department of Finance and Administration has suggested for months the potential recoupment, or clawback, could be less than $100 million. With a $1.6 billion surplus, the governor and legislators are looking to expedite $500 million in tax cuts by speeding up a reduction in the top tax rate from 5.5% to 4.9%.
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced a new social media campaign called “Wanted Wednesday” in order to highlight the Office of the Attorney General’s most wanted individuals suspected of Medicaid Fraud. On Wednesdays, Rutledge will release a poster on social media featuring the name, description, last known location and a photo of the suspect, in addition to the charges the individual is facing. Anyone with information about the suspect should call the Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at (866) 810-0016.
“In the first four years of my administration alone, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit secured more convictions than in the 16 years prior,” said Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “This is due to the hard work and long hours that the men and women of the Attorney General’s Office put into investigating and tracking down those that take advantage of a system designed to help our most vulnerable.”
Since 2015, Attorney General Rutledge’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit led by Deputy Attorney General Lloyd Warford has secured 174 convictions, 173 civil settlements leading to $66,791,963 in restitution, fines and penalties on behalf of the State of Arkansas.
“Thank you to Attorney General Rutledge for her leadership and commitment to prosecuting these serious crimes. This social media campaign will continue to highlight the important work of the Attorney General’s Office,” said Deputy Attorney General Lloyd Warford.
Medicaid fraud occurs when Medicaid providers use the program to obtain money to which they are not entitled. To report Medicaid fraud, abuse or neglect in nursing homes or Social Security disability fraud, call the Attorney General’s Medicaid fraud hotline at (866) 810-0016 or submit a complaint online.
MAKING IT RAIN — Irrigation pivot running in Marvell, Arkansas, on July 17, 2022, as drought deepened in Arkansas. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Mary Hightower)
By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
STUTTGART, Ark. — If there’s one message Chris Henry has for Arkansas row crop farmers during the drought, it’s “don’t get in a hurry.”
Henry, professor and water management engineer for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, has posted a handout with a variety of tactics aimed at helping farmers get the most crop they can with what irrigation is available. Additional information can be found in a fact sheet series on Arkansas crop irrigation.
“The next 30 days will be critical for many irrigators, as fatigues sets in, and many crops are still at or entering high water demand,” Henry said. “However, there are things that farmers can do to mitigate both the human and plant stress being experienced.”
Arkansas has experienced a broken string of days with highs in the triple digits, with rain in short supply. The U.S. Drought monitor map of July 19 showed all of Arkansas experiencing some form of drought. The Climate Prediction Center’s extended outlook issued July 21 showed most of Arkansas with temperatures well above normal. However, the CPC’s precipitation outlook was more promising, with the northern two-thirds of the state possibly seeing above-average amounts.
Henry’s tactics include:
Using a computerized hole selection program such as Pipe Planner, Rice Irrigation or PHAUCET to help plan water distribution across the field. Henry said use of these programs can reduce pump time by between 10 percent and 50 percent.
Plan to be patient. Henry said water is drawn down from wells and reservoirs, pumps have to lift water further. “Expect to take longer to irrigate a set or flood up a field and adjust accordingly,” he said. “Some alluvial wells can drop off as much as 50 percent and it’s not uncommon for relifts to fall off 30 percent as we get to the bottom.”
Soil sensors are still relevant. “It’s not too late to incorporate sensors into irrigation management,” Henry said. “Using sensors to determine the last irrigation of the season is the largest payback of monitoring soil moisture, it almost always saves at least one irrigation and allows for planning ahead of dwindling irrigation supplies.”
Even with one or two sets of sensors — for less than $500 — estimating the number of irrigations left can be done for the entire enterprise. “In a drought year like 2022, sensors can save both water and profitability,” Henry said.
Irrigate deeply. Instead of flushing fields with limited water, try to fill the profile up when irrigating, Henry said. “This will encourage the roots to go deeper for water and reduce the number of sets for the season-saving on precious labor.”
Check those pumps. Drought is prompting farmers to run their irrigation pumps beyond the typical 800 hours a year.
“For diesel power units, oil changes and greasing propeller shafts may seem obvious, but changing the oil in the gear head is often overlooked,” Henry said. He also urged farmers with electric motors to be sure to use both the correct lubrication and amount. “If the oil in the sight window is black or white, there is a high risk of bearing failure.”
The fact sheet provides additional guidance, tables and example calculations, on how to estimate crop demand and the amount and number of irrigations needed for reservoirs and wells as supplies draw down.
“Heat stress and heat exhaustion awareness are real threats to safely sustaining irrigation, keep ample water to employees and yourself and don’t get in a hurry, it may take more time to do things safely,” Henry said.
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.
By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture
LITTLE ROCK — With Arkansas’ prolonged drought taking a toll on trees across the state, now is the time for homeowners to lend some extra attention to their trees that may be in distress.
DISTRESSED -- A young tree shows signs of drought distress. (Division of Agriculture photo/Krista Quinn)
“People have been calling about their trees losing leaves or starting to get their fall colors way too early, or the bark cracking,” said Krista Quinn, a certified arborist and an agricultural agent with the Cooperative Extension Service’s Faulkner County office, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “These are all signs of drought distress.”
The prolonged lack of rain and high temperatures across Arkansas has depleted moisture from soil in many areas.
“The two best things we can do to minimize drought damage to trees is to water them and lightly mulch them,” Quinn said. “Watering and mulching trees now may not be enough to get them to produce new leaves or start growing again this season, but it can minimize damage and make them better able to withstand other environmental and pest pressures during the coming year.”
Older trees require hundreds of gallons of water over a week, but their root systems can tap into deeper water sources that younger trees cannot access. Younger trees, especially those in harsh urban conditions, need extra care.
“Turf grasses can usually recover,” Quinn said. “They will go dormant and turn brown. Some trees will also go dormant as a strategy for dealing with drought, so just because it’s defoliating doesn’t mean it’s dying, but it is stressed.”
Homeowners may face time or financial constraints when it comes to caring for their landscaping. Some municipalities may also request that homeowners reduce water use for irrigation like sprinklers and landscape watering to maintain the community water supply.
“For anyone who is trying to maintain their landscape through drought and heat and feel like they have to make decisions — I honestly think trees are the priority,” Quinn said. “They’re expensive to plant, and large trees are irreplaceable. The hot temperatures make us appreciate the shade from a tree even more.”
Tree Watering Tips
Water under the entire tree canopy and not just at the trunk.
For newly planted trees, water the area just outside the root zone to encourage roots to grow out away from the trunk into the native soil.
Irrigate infrequently, but deeply. Watering once a week is usually sufficient as long as the top 4 to 6 inches of soil is wetted. Dig a small hole after watering to make sure the water has percolated through the soil.
Watering trees in clay soils, compacted soils, or on slopes can be difficult since the water often starts to runoff before the top 4 to 6 inches of soil is wetted. Use a soaker or drip irrigation system to apply a low volume of water over a longer amount of time. Another option is to cycle the water flow on and off every 20 to 30 minutes. Water for 20 minutes, then let the water soak into the slope for 20 minutes, then water again for 20 minutes until the needed amount of water has soaked into the soil.
Water in the evening or early morning to minimize evaporation.
Use sprinklers, soaker hoses, watering bags, and buckets to water trees.
Newly planted trees have a better chance of surviving if they are watered during dry spells for the first two years after planting.
Tree Mulching Tips
Apply a 2- to 4-inch-deep layer of mulch over tree roots.
Keep mulch material away from the tree trunk. The goal is to keep the tree roots moist and the trunk dry.
Mulch as much of the area under the tree as possible, preferably to the outermost edge of the tree's canopy.
Many different organic products can be used as mulch. Bark, shredded wood, grass clippings, straw, pine needles, and dried leaves are all good options.
Mulch does not need to be reapplied every year.
Having a mulch layer more than about 4 inches deep can harm trees.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
Fast Facts
Young trees more susceptible to drought
Signs of distress: wilting, losing leaves, leaf discoloration
Watering, mulching can help trees in distress
By Chris Carmody
LITTLE ROCK — Mauricio Garcia Saenz de Sicilia, M.D., has rejoined the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine as an associate professor and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He served most recently on the Washington University School of Medicine faculty in St. Louis.
“We are pleased to recruit Dr. Garcia back to UAMS to transform the delivery of gastroenterology service in Little Rock and the state of Arkansas,” said Edward T.H. Yeh, M.D., chair of the Department of Internal Medicine. “He will also play a pivotal role in strengthening the liver transplantation service at UAMS.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division at UAMS and contribute to improving the state of health for Arkansans,” Garcia said. “Coming back to UAMS represents a chance to build the foundation for the future of academic gastroenterology and hepatology in Arkansas by improving access to high-quality care and being the main point of referral for the community.”
By Matthew Moore KUAF
A new blood test has received FDA breakthrough status approval that can detect more than 50 different kinds of cancer in a patient. Mercy Hospitals in Rogers and Fort Smith are among the earliest health systems to offer the test.
KUAR | By Daniel Breen
Gov. Asa Hutchinson is criticizing state lawmakers for abruptly changing spending rules concerning federal dollars already appropriated to public schools.
Members of the Arkansas Legislative Council last week voted to rescind $500 million in spending authority from the Department of Education. That money, from the American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Fund, or ESSER, had already been appropriated to the Education Department for schools to use mainly for improvements, hiring and retention.
Lawmakers instead proposed requiring schools to use the funding to provide bonuses of $5,000 to teachers and $2,500 to staff, and for districts to submit detailed spending plans to the committee for approval.
Daniel Breen/KUAR News
Gov. Asa Hutchinson greets a member of the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators at the group's annual summer meeting at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock Monday.
KUAR | By Ronak Patel
Arkansas lawmakers have approved new health insurance premium rates for state employees and public school employees. The Employee Benefits Division Oversight Subcommittee on Wednesday took action allowing lower rates to take effect, following last week’s approval by the State Board of Finance.
In the next calendar year, state employees will be expected to pay $172 a month, while public school employees will pay $221 a month, according to a spreadsheet provided by the Employee Benefits Division (EBD). There are different rates for employees who include their spouses or children on their plan.
Ronak Patel/KUAR News
Winston Simpson, a former public school employee, shared his concerns about the state's plan to improve health insurance coverage for state employees during a meeting on Wednesday.
KUAR | By Alexandria Brown
A new blood test being offered at Mercy Health Systems in Arkansas can be used to detect early signs of cancer. The Galleri test can indicate early signs of more than 50 types of cancers, including aggressive types like pancreatic, ovarian, and esophageal, which oftentimes have no warning signs
The Galleri, which is a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood test, was created by a California-based health care company called GRAIL. Dr. John Mohart, president of Mercy communities, said the test uses advanced sequencing to look for tumor DNA in the bloodstream.
“In general, we only screen for about four to five cancers in the U.S.—the most common ones,” Mohart said in an interview with KUAR News. “But the deep-seated cancers like pancreatic, ovarian, and esophageal, we don’t have any screening. And so, about 71% of cancer deaths are actually from cancers that we don't screen at all for. So with this test, it’s not a replacement for the normal screening that you would get with your physicians, but this is a supplement of deeper cancers that we don’t screen for at all.”
Mercy/Mercy Health Systems
Mercy Health Systems is offering a test that identifies early signs of cancer.
BIRDING — Members of the Saline County 4-H club, the Salem Superstars, use their binoculars to spot birds at the Little Rock Audubon Center. (Division of Agriculture photo by Lori Canada.)
By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Lori Canada, extension 4-H STEM program coordinator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the parent of a Salem Superstars club member, said the project is an important intersection of wildlife and technology programming. STEM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
“As a STEM specialist, I see this as a great way to show kids that technology is in everything and anything,” Canada said. “It’s a good combination of learning about birds – the eggs they lay and the differences between those eggs – but also utilizing that knowledge through creating these 3D replicas.”
The Salem Superstars began the project by learning about bird species present in Arkansas, using binoculars to watch them in their habitats and studying images of their eggs. This included a field trip to the Arkansas Audubon Center in Little Rock. Canada then taught the students about 3D printing technology, demonstrating the printing method and showing students how to design their own eggs using a computer program.
Becky McPeake, the club’s leader and extension wildlife specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said the 4-H members have responded enthusiastically to the curriculum.
“They’ve been really excited about this project,” McPeake said. “We gave them a list of birds, and we asked them to select which birds they would like to study and learn about their eggs. As you might imagine, some of them really like the larger, predatory birds, and some of them were really enthused about birds they knew very little about and wanted to learn more.”
Kahlan Higgins, 12, current president of the Salem Superstars, said the project has made her more interested in learning about birds and other wildlife.
“My favorite part about learning about different bird species and their eggs is getting to learn what different eggs look like and how they are different from each other,” Higgins said. “Using the 3D printers has also been really fun. I have really enjoyed getting to see them printing different objects.”
After choosing their bird egg, the students designed them using the 3D modeling program Tinkercad. Canada described 3D printing as a “computerized hot glue gun.” The printers use a thermoplastic that melts when heated and is then extruded through a nozzle, layer by layer, to create a three-dimensional object. Canada helped the group members, who range in age from 5 to 12 years old, in designing their eggs.
She then downloaded their designs to another computer program, Cura, which breaks the designs down into individual layers and configures each design’s settings for the printer, including the heat temperature and the design of the infill of the egg. This determines whether the inside of the object is hollow or made of smaller hexagonal or triangular shapes, which keeps the object lighter and uses less filament per design.
“For the printer to know how to do the hot glue gun motion, it needs to basically slice the object into layers,” Canada said. “It’s like you’re slicing a cake, but vertically.”
Club members then use sanding tools to smooth their eggs down and then paint them to match those of their respective birds. Finally, the 4-H members will create an exhibit about their eggs and the 3D printing technology for the Saline County Fair in September.
Each student will get to make at least two eggs, and McPeake will include one of them in each of the wildlife kits she is compiling to distribute across the state. These kits are part of Canada’s plan to distribute science and technology equipment to county agents.
“We’re designing five kits that will be stationed in five locations that county agents can access and do outreach to 4-Hers and local schools,” McPeake said. “We hope that soon, anyone in the state who has an interest in wildlife curriculum could contact their county agent and coordinate educational outreach with those kits, or they could use them to train their 4-H leaders, who could then use the kits to teach kids about wildlife.”
McPeake said she hopes the kits will help get more kids involved with the 4-H wildlife program and excited about spending time outdoors.
“Kids today are so smart when it comes to technology, and they’re so engaged in technology,” she said. “We have found that kids are going outdoors less, and yet a lot of the research suggests that being outdoors brings so much value to their lives and to their mental health. This combination of technology and the outdoors is really a great one for this time and age.”
4-H is a youth development program operated by the Cooperative Extension Service. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The program teaches participants life skills through the “learn by doing” model. Program participants gain knowledge through non-formal, science-based, experiential education activities.
For more information about 4-H, contact your local county extension agent or visit https://4h.uada.edu/.
Fast Facts:
4-H members use 3D printing technology to design eggs of Arkansas birds
Bird eggs will be used in wildlife curriculum kits for county agents throughout state
Project will be exhibited at Saline County FairSALINE COUNTY, Ark. — The 4-H model of “learn by doing” encourages youth to acquire new skills through hands-on activities. The Salem Superstars 4-H club in Saline County is practicing this by combining technology and wildlife curriculum to create 3D-printed bird eggs, teaching participants about the innovative printing method and the Natural State’s bird population.
by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)
Arkansas’ only car manufacturer has selected its first dealer in the state. Envirotech announced Thursday (July 21) it has partnered with Jonesboro-based DaVinci Innovations (DVI) as its first dealer in the Natural State.
DVI is Envirotech’s first commercial electric licensed vehicle dealer. When it will start selling vehicles was not released. Phillip Oldridge, CEO of Envirotech Vehicles, said he was glad to find a dealer in the region.
“Envirotech is proud to be pushing the transportation industry towards the future of greener technology as we announce DVI as our first Arkansas-based dealer. The days of going to dealerships to purchase vehicles continue to become less prevalent in the industry, and we are excited to see how DVI’s entirely online system will help enhance buyer experience and make purchasing our heavy-duty, fully-electric vehicles more convenient and accessible across the state,” he said.
https://talkbusiness.net/2022/07/envirotech-selects-its-first-vehicle-dealer-in-arkansas/
by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)
Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Thursday (July 21) that Jami Cook has resigned as Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Public Safety and Director of the Division on Law Enforcement Standards and Training.
In a resignation letter to Hutchinson, Cook said she was stepping down after battling multiple health issues.
Cook was appointed as the Director of the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training on January 14, 2015, by Hutchinson. Prior to her appointment, she served as the Arkansas State Police Program Director, responsible for policies, procedures, training, strategic planning, research and development, and special projects.
https://talkbusiness.net/2022/07/arkansas-secretary-of-public-safety-resigns-for-health-reasons/
by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
State Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, said it is important to follow the process of an adequacy study to raise teacher salaries in Arkansas.
The chair of the Senate Education Committee, Irvin said she has legal concerns if Arkansas lawmakers deviate from the formula that came from the 2004 Lake View case.
“… Legally, my concern is if you start to pick and choose one category outside of that adequacy process, I don’t think that that’s really following what the court wanted us to do, and so that is a huge concern from a legal standpoint, that you’re right in the middle of a study, you’re right in the middle of the process, and you picked out one category of expenditure and you didn’t take into consideration all the expenditures and the funding needed for public school in its totality, which is exactly what the Lakeview case was really all about,” she said.
LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson issued the following statement in regards to the Arkansas Legislative Council's decision on the use of money from the American Rescue Plan.
"While I am pleased the Arkansas Legislative Council supports funding bonus pay for teachers, their action to rescind $500 million in spending authority for the Arkansas Department of Education is contrary to the Council’s statutory authority and contrary to the principles of separation of powers underlying the Arkansas Revenue Stabilization Act.
"I am disappointed by the Legislative Council’s vote to rescind its approval to give the Arkansas Department of Education authority to spend $500 million in American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Fund. Just as the General Assembly could not recall a bill from my desk that had already been signed into law, ALC may not undo the lawful appropriations under Act 199 through a parliamentary maneuver.
"Under the appropriation passed last month the schools could use the funds for teacher bonuses and incentives. The big change now is that the schools must submit plans which must go back to the legislature for additional review.
"In other words, the local school district priorities may not be approved. I am concerned that teachers in some districts will get a bonus, but others may not. The creative approach by the committee today, while well-intentioned, is not the best approach to helping our teachers."
