Natural State News

As Arkansas' 93 General Assembly Legislative session continues, Urban League of Arkansas CEO Scott Hamilton said most of the discussions about election laws and law enforcement task force legislation, like House Bill 1343, is "cookie-cutter legislation."

In an interview with Roby Brock on TB&P YouTube channel, Hamilton said that when comparing what is being discussed on the House floor during this year's Arkansas Legislative session to those of other states, and nationally, the agendas are not localized to specific problems in individual states.

"We're seeing a lot of what appears to be cookie-cutter legislation. The topics and agendas that are being promulgated and delivered at multiple states simultaneously that suggest some consistent work and a push to get things on a certain agenda that don't appear to be localized legislation," Hamilton said.

Hamilton said that Arkansas needs to speak on what is needed for Arkansas, but in regards to House Bill which was passed last week by Gov. Asa Hutchinson and lowers the retirement for police officers from being eligible after 30 years of service to 28 years of service, Hamilton said he thinks this is a good thing. 

One of the benefits of HB 1343 is that some localized police officers will be getting body cameras and less lethal equipment, with also lowering the retirement service years for officers, Hamilton said these are "things I think that are very important."

Hamilton said that though there are some other important things that the legislative session has yet to look at, at the end of the day, progress is being made though he wishes some of that progress was more localized than in a "cookie-cutter" way.