State Rep. Charlene Fite, R-Van Buren, who represents western Washington and Crawford Counties, didn't go looking to change the makeup of the state Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission.
But the Commission's management people came to her. They needed her help.
And help she did.
This past week, with the 90th General Assembly only hours old, one of Fite's pre-filed bills, HB1049, flew off the legislative podium, 97-0 -- becoming the first bill of the session to pass the House.
It now goes over to the Senate where it is also expected to pass easily.
What HB1049 does is clear up, clarity and virtually ends the on-going class of "emeritus" status for long-serving commission members of the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission. Four members, all who served 24 years or more on the SPRTC, were serving as "emeritus" commissioners. That status will be largely unchanged but not continue to future members.
Like the 13 regular commission members, the "emeritus" members will still be eligible for travel, per diem and overnight accommodation expenses, to travel across the state to commission meetings to promote the state parks, recreation and travel in the state. But now they can do so without a subsequent appropriation from the governor's office for each and every budget year.
The four "emeritus" commission members were: Jim Gaston of Gaston's White River Resort in Lakeview; Bill Lindsey of Lindsey's Resort of Heber Springs; Montane McNulty of the Arkansas Hospitality Association of Little Rock and Ness Secrest of West Memphis Petroleum Co. Inc.
According to Gloria Robbins of the SPRTC office, Lindsey recently resigned his commission status to go into work in the state parks office.
So only three of these "emeritus" status commissioners remain. Remember now, the SPRTC asked for this bill and helped Fite and the Legislative staffers draft this bill. So everyone is on board.
And that is no easy feat as there are 13 regular SPRTC board members, paid state staff and of course the governor's office to wade through to get approval to change the status of state board appointees.
Fite's bill also did a little tweaking, called "cleaning up" in the Legislative vernacular. It clarifies that the makeup of this state board contain 13 members, and instead of saying (for example) "One member SHALL be an active newspaper staff member, editorial worker or editor.
The change says "One member IS an active newspaper staff member, editorial worker or editor."
The same change is made for appointments of a "person in radio or television broadcasting; recognized news media or in video service provider industry; recreational or travel field; and (lastly) a historian with knowledge of Arkansas's historic background."
It's not a real sexy bill. It didn't get a mention in the state-wide newspaper, nor did it lead the six, nine or 10 o'clock newscasts.
But it's just the kind of bill that needed to be filed, discussed and updated for a more efficient state government. Rep. Fite, to my way of thinking, was selected by the agency as she has proven herself in this her 2nd session, to be open and easy to work with on such matters.
She passed an array of her bills in the previous session. While still a very conservative Republican she holds out a hand to help state agencies improve their performance for taxpayers.
Isn't that exactly what good government and good representatives are supposed to do?
Sure it is.
Even if it is not the first bill out of the hopper every session.
Kudos to Charlene Fite.
Editorial on 01/28/2015