HB1770 has now passed in the Arkansas State House, and moves on to the Senate Education Committee. Please contact these Senators and urge them to vote against this bill.
Senator Johnny Key (R), chair, johnny.key@senate.ar.gov
Senator Joyce Elliott (D), vice-chair, joyce.elliott@senate.ar.gov
Senator Uvalde Lindsey (D), uvalde.lindsey@senate.ar.gov
Senator Alan Clark (R), alan.clark@senate.ar.gov
Senator Jim Hendren (R), jim.hendren@senate.ar.gov
Senator Eddie Cheatham (R), eddie.cheatham@senate.ar.gov
Senator Jason Rapert (R), jason.rapert@senate.ar.gov
Senator Bruce Holland (R), bruce.holland@senate.ar.gov
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Sample letter:
Honorable Senators of the Education Committee:
HB1770, having passed in the House, has now arrived in your committee for consideration. Please vote against this bill. It would, if passed, permit the Commissioner of the State Department of Education, Dr. Tom Kimbrell, to extend state takeovers of local school districts for as long as five years. Existing law already permits two-year takeover periods, and that is enough.
When the state takes over a school district, the voters/taxpayers of that school district are disenfranchised — they lose all voice in the education of their children. Dr. Kimbrell is not an elected official, but was appointed by Governor Mike Beebe. No person in an appointed position should be given this much control over our public schools; it is undemocratic and unAmerican to do so. Our children’s schools need more input from parents and local communities, not less. HB1770 is a big-government bill, designed to extend the taxation without representation which we already have in all school districts already taken over by the state.
Please vote against HB1770. Please help restore local control — and stop big-government tyranny — for the public schools of Arkansas.
Respectfully,
[name and address here]
