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| Fri, Nov. 21, 2008 |  |
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Governor suspends appointments to King Commission Friday, Jun 13, 2008 Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Gov. Mike Beebe said Thursday he would not make any more appointments to the embattled state Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission until the Legislature considers restructuring the panel next year. "The group has a great purpose and can be a conduit for Dr. King's noble tenets, but it appears increasingly difficult for the commission to do so in its current form," Beebe said in a news release. Andy Montgomery of Batesville, co-chairman of the 26-member commission, said he had not discussed the matter with the governor but likes the idea of possibly down-sizing the commission. "Two folks can agree to disagree, but when you have 26 folks it's very difficult to get that many folks to agree on anything. I think restructuring is necessary," Montgomery said. The commission has a history of turmoil that began in 2004 when a faction tried to oust the longtime director, state Sen. Tracy Steele, D-Little Rock. Steele survived the attempt, but when he resigned in November 2006, infighting erupted over his successor. Last year, a member filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of some commission appointees. The suit was dropped in April, but for months the panel had difficulty operating because not enough members attended meetings to conduct business. The commission has hired a new executive director who was named but not charged in an alleged car insurance scam. |
