Committee refers closed Baxter County child-abuse cases to oversight panel after prosecutor raises information access concerns

Little Rock — The joint Senate and House Committees on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs voted Wednesday to refer closed child-abuse cases from Baxter County to the Child Maltreatment Investigations Oversight Committee after a county prosecutor said he had difficulty obtaining information needed to prosecute a Mountain Home case.

David Ethredge, prosecuting attorney for Baxter County’s 14th Judicial District, described how his office handles child-abuse investigations and said his office has had trouble receiving records and other information necessary to pursue charges in the Mountain Home matter. Ethredge’s remarks prompted questions and agency explanations from state officials.

Senator Alan Clark moved to refer the closed Baxter County cases to the Child Maltreatment Investigations Oversight Committee; Senator Dan Sullivan seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote. The referral does not itself constitute a finding of wrongdoing but directs the oversight committee to review the closed cases and related procedures.

The referral follows agency testimony explaining existing report-handling processes and possible improvements. Committee members framed the referral as a fact-finding step to clarify whether procedural or information-sharing gaps affected the Baker County prosecution (Baxter County was the county referenced in testimony).

The committee took no further formal action on individual prosecutions at the joint meeting. The oversight committee will determine next steps for its review and whether it will seek additional records or hold hearings.