PENALIZE STATE AGENCIES?: A bill aimed at blocking affirmative action regarding employment or procurement decisions based on a person’s gender, ethnicity, or race was advanced by the Arkansas Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee this week during the 94th legislative session in Little Rock. Senate Bill 71 would create a law to penalize state employees who use affirmative action in business decisions with a Class A misdemeanor. It would also subject any state agency that uses affirmative action programs to a lawsuit.
Democratic Sen. Clarke Tucker from Little Rock argued over the wording and intent of the bill. Tucker said he found the bill too vague and said it implies that racism in Arkansas is no longer a problem.
“If racism were over, then it would basically work out to be where the percentage of contracts yielded in goods purchases to minority owned businesses would be about the same as the minority population is in Arkansas. But our goal is much less than what the minority population in Arkansas which shows we’re not where we need to be yet,” Clarke explained.
But Sen. Dan Sullivan, Republican from Jonesboro, who sponsored the bill maintained the bill’s intent is to treat everyone equally when it comes to state employment or procurement. When the bill came to a vote Senator Tucker was the only one who voted against it. Senate Bill 71 now heads to the Arkansas Senate for a vote.
