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Committee passes amended House Bill 17‑89 after compromise, with bar and prosecutors supportive
Summary
The Senate Judiciary Committee passed an amended House Bill 17‑89, which sponsors say narrows earlier language and removes a contested section; attorneys who opposed the original draft told the committee they now support the amended measure.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday passed an amended version of House Bill 17‑89 after members said they reached a compromise that removed a previously contested section.
Centric Flowers, who ran the bill in committee, said the version before the panel was the engrossed amendment and that it removed section 3. She told colleagues attorneys who had testified in opposition earlier in the week were now supportive of the amended bill.
Kaye McLeod, an attorney who said she represents the Arkansas Bar Association, told the committee she supports the bill as amended and that she had discussed the change with a deputy prosecutor who had earlier opposed the measure. McLeod said the state prosecutors’ association would review the legislation at its upcoming meeting and that she expected the association’s participation would aid enforcement across Arkansas.
Representatives of child‑placement agencies also offered support. “We as ABBA Adoption and other child placement agencies in the state of Arkansas, we support this bill as amended,” said Candy Cots of ABBA Adoption Agency. Little Rock attorney John Tribble also expressed his support.
After brief discussion and confirmation there were no speakers registered in opposition, the committee closed debate, moved to pass and recorded a voice vote. The chair announced the motion carried and congratulated Centric Flowers and Representative Penzo, the bill’s House sponsor.
The committee did not record a roll‑call tally in the hearing transcript; members answered verbally to indicate approval. The measure advances from the Judiciary Committee under the amended language presented in committee.
