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Committee removes executive-director language for district judges council in House Bill 1407
Summary
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved House Bill 1407 to remove statutory language establishing an executive director for the Arkansas District Judges Judicial Council after state courts completed a reorganization of municipal and district judgeships.
House Bill 1407 cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee after a brief presentation by the bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Carol Dolby, and a voice vote in favor.
The bill strikes a line of statutory language that had authorized an executive director for the district judges council, a post that lawmakers and the judiciary say is no longer needed following judicial reorganization. "House Bill 1407 is a bill that will be a companion bill to another bill that Senator Clark and I will be filing soon," Rep. Dolby told the committee, and she summarized the changes made after Amendment 80 reorganized municipal and district judges into state district judges.
Dolby told the committee the state previously allowed the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) or the judicial council to hire an administrative assistant while courts consolidated; she said that reorganization is now complete and the Supreme Court in January issued a per curiam order directing the AOC to assist district judges in forming the Arkansas District Judges Judicial Council. "All this bill does is over on page 3, line 11, strike set language," Dolby said.
With no public testimony recorded, Senator Gilmore moved a "do pass" recommendation and Senator Johnson seconded. The committee indicated approval by voice vote and the motion carried.
The bill’s text removes the authority-language for an executive director; the committee record did not show follow-up amendments or a roll-call vote.
