HB2489 Credit for the UN IBP Program Failed in Committee

HB2489, a bill mandating at least 24 hours college credit to high school graduates receiving the UN's IBP Diploma, failed to get out of the House Education Committee. There were eight votes for it, and it needed eleven. Two members were absent and two voted Present. Following is the list of legislators who voted No and Yes. Rep. Horace Hardwick, who sponsored the bill, had six Democrats and two Republicans to vote with him on the bill. He had three Republicans to vote against him.

No votes that kept it from getting out of committee: Rep. Mark Martin, Rep Tommy Dickenson, Rep. James Norton, Curren Everett, Rep. Eric Harris, Rep. Sid Rosenbaum, Representative David Rainey, and Rep. Toni Bradford. Yes votes who voted for Hardwick's bill: Rep. Betty Pickett, Rep. Janet Johnson, Rep. Shirley Walters, Rep. Michael Lamoureux, Rep. Nancy Blount, Rep. Rick Saunders, Rep. David Cook, Rep. Eddie Cheatham. Absent: Jeff Wood and Benny Petrus. Voted Present: Mike Kenney & Bill Abernathy.

ARRA Info: ARRA contacted sources in the AR Dept of Higher Education and AR Assoc of Two-Year Colleges before the vote. Sources related that if the bill were to pass out of the House Education Committee, ADHE would seek an Attorney General opinion on the constitutionality of the proposed bill. All sources indicated they were against any bill that would mandate college credit for a high school program.

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Tags: Arkansas, civil unions, House Education Committee, IBP