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Homestead exemption sails through House Thursday, Feb 1, 2007 By Rob Moritz and Doug Thompson Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Legislation to raise the state's homestead exemption on property by $50, from $300 to $350, sailed through the House on Wednesday. House Bill 1030 by Rep. Scott Sullivan, D-De Queen, passed 99-0 and goes to the Senate. The Senate passed bills giving local governments greater authority to require cleanup of unsanitary conditions in public view and requiring lien holders be notified when auto insurance is canceled. In the House, Sullivan said the cost of increasing the homestead exemption - estimated at $22.5 million - would be covered by the state's property tax relief fund, which was created in 2000 and financed by a half-cent state sales tax. The fund contains about $57 million. "The money is in the property tax relief fund and should be no problem," Sullivan said. Rep. Mike Kenney, R-Siloam Springs, asked Sullivan if he would be willing to consider giving the remaining money in the fund back to property owners in additional tax relief. "I would be willing to look at anything to help reduce property taxes," Sullivan replied. The $50 increase in the homestead exemption is supported by Gov. Mike Beebe and is factored in the governor's proposed balanced budget for the biennium, Sullivan said. The bill passed 99-0 and goes to the Senate. Also Wednesday, the House approved HB 1235 by Rep. Jim Medley, R-Fort Smith, which would repeal a section of Arkansas law concerning carrying a knife as a weapon. The bill, which passed 94-1, and goes to the Senate, would repeal a statute that says a person carrying a knife with a blade of 3 1/2 inches or longer is considered carrying a weapon. Medley said during a House committee meeting that the measure would protect people who carry long knives for fishing or hunting. The House also passed HB 1145 by Rep. David Evans, which would require a school district to notify the family of a student who has been suspended. The vote was 96-0, and the measure now goes to the Senate. The legislation is named "Webb's Law" after Searcy High School student Webb Killough, who died in May from a drug overdose. On the day he died, the boy's father dropped off him off at school, unaware that he had been suspended. Also approved by the House was HB 1274 by Rep. Dawn Creekmore, D-Hensley, which would require colleges and universities to adopt policies for notifying students when the school receives information from law enforcement about sex offenders in the community. The bill passed 97-0 and goes to the Senate. Senate Bill 108 by Sen. David Bisbee, R-Rogers, would allow counties and cities to require cleanup of unsanitary conditions on parcels of land that are larger than 10 acres if the "nuisance" is within sight of a public road or highway, Bisbee said. Land used for agricultural purposes would be exempt, according to the bill. SB 108 passed the Senate 35-0 and goes to the House. Lien holders would be notified of cancellation of a policyholder's auto insurance under SB 143 by Sen. Terry Smith, D-Hot Springs. Senate Bill 107 by Bisbee, would close a loophole that exempted businesses from having to pay dues for volunteer fire department protection. Both bills passed 35-0 and go to the House. The Senate also approved legislation that would prohibit higher education faculty who write textbooks and require students to purchase them from collecting royalties on the sales. SB 30 by Sen. Sue Madison, D-Fayetteville, would require each higher education institution in the state to develop a written policy on where proceeds from such sales would go. The bill passed the Senate 35-0 and goes to the House. SB 10 by Sen. Percy Malone, D-Arkadelphia, would require the governor to submit appointees for Senate confirmation when special legislative sessions are called. Currently, gubernatorial appointees are conference only during a regular session. The bill passed 35-0 and goes to the House. |
