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Senate panel hires local projects manager Saturday, Jun 16, 2007 By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - A Senate committee voted Friday to hire a former Huckabee administration official as coordinator of special projects for the Senate. The nine-member Senate Efficiency Committee voted 7-2 to create the position and 7-0 to hire Bruce Campbell, who served as rural services director under Gov. Mike Huckabee from 1999 to January. Sen. Shawn Womack, R-Mountain Home, who proposed the position and the hiring of Campbell, said job was created on a temporary, biennial basis and the annual salary is $60,000. "He will work with local entities, such as cities, counties, local fire departments, library boards ... to help do research on grants that are available, to help get the grant process," Womack said after the committee meeting. The senator said Campbell also will track budget issues, do research and act as a liaison between the local groups in Senate districts and state agencies. Womack originally proposed hiring Campbell in early May after the end of the legislative session, but the committee met twice with acting because not enough members attended. At Friday's meeting, Sen. Dave Bisbee, R-Rogers, who is chairman of the committee, and Sen. Paul Miller, D-Melbourne, voted against the creation of the new position. "This to me is a joke," Miller said during the meeting as he questioned the need for the position. After voting against the position, Miller made the motion to hire Campbell, but walked out before the vote. Bisbee, who did not vote to hire Campbell, said he didn't think the position was necessary. He later said he thought the committee should interview other candidates. "It's just growing and getting bloated up, senators hiring somebody to do their job," Bisbee said. ------- The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
