EasterCelebrations

10B v SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015 v
Walking Bandit and Odie
Monument
v Continued from Page 1B
in U.S. and Arkansas history and not seen solely as reli- gious.
He argued that similar dis- plays are in other public areas across the country, including outside Texas’ state Capitol building.
“This is patterned after what was done in a few other states. Some of those states, I’ll put out this disclaimer, were challenged and not allowed to do it, but Oklahoma was a state that was allowed to do this,” Hammer said. “It has withstood the scrutiny of not only state courts but also the federal court that upheld the language for that to happen.”
A legal challenge to the Texas monument in the U.S. Supreme Court lost in 2005, mainly because the court ruled it had been there for so long that it was a historic artifact and had demonstrated it posed no harm. On the same day, the
nation’s top court ruled that similar monuments at two courthouses in Kentucky did violate the U.S. Constitution.
The law creating the monu- ment in Oklahoma that Rapert modeled his legislation after was upheld by an Oklahoma circuit judge in 2009. Three years later, an atheist group sued the state in federal court for violating the establishment clause of the First Amendment and the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment because the mon- ument showed public support for one religion over others.
Earlier this month, the federal case was tossed after a judge ruled that the atheist group lacked standing to bring the suit forward.
Anne Orsi of Little Rock told the House committee that ac- ceptance by the courts has been rare and that arguments made by supporters that the Ten Commandments serve a major role in the history of the U.S. legal system were overblown.
“The challenges to Ten
Commandments [displays] that have happened around the country have uniform- ly lost when it’s been a new monument,” she said. “To say we’re basing our laws on the Ten Commandments is sim- ply not accurate. ... [They] didn’t originate the ‘don’t kill’ idea nor did they originate the ‘don’t steal’ idea.”
Jim Sewell, also of Little Rock, said the bill did not seek to display a historic legacy, but rather a Christian legacy instead of that of another faith.
“It goes against the separa- tion of church and state. Peri- od,” he said. “You want to have a monument? That’s fine. Not on the state grounds. It doesn’t belong there.”
Another critic pointed out that though no public money will be used to create and in- stall the monument, once it is entrenched on state grounds, its protection and upkeep would be the responsibility of the sec- retary of state’s office, which would mean public funding was being used for the monument.
Charlotte Cullum (center) chats Friday with Sierra Clark, 13, (left) and Rachel White, 14, while walking her dogs, Bandit (left) and Odie at Dupree Park in Jacksonville.
Property
v Continued from Page 1B restricted or limited the own- er’s private property rights.
A jury would determine whether the owner’s prop- erty had lost at least 20 per- cent of its value because of the government action, Hen- dren said.
Upon a finding that prop- erty has been taken, the state or local governmental entity would have to either com- pensate the property own- er for the reduction in fair market value or “invalidate all or part of the regulatory program.”
The bill wouldn’t apply to someone whose proper- ty is not directly subject to a regulatory program. It would also not apply to actions by a state or local government that are reasonably taken to fulfill an obligation mandated by federal or state law.
Government agencies would still be allowed to lawfully seize property if it is evidence of a crime.
The legislation also ex- empts the regulatory activ- ities of the state Pollution Control and Ecology Com- mission, Department of Envi- ronmental Quality, Livestock and Poultry Commission, the Public Service Commission, and the state Plant Board “under delegated or autho- rized programs or approved plans under federal law.” Al- so exempted: an eminent do- main proceeding undertaken by a governmental unit under applicable law; a rule, regula- tion or proclamation adopt- ed to regulate water safety, hunting, fishing or control of non-indigenous or exotic aquatic resources; and laws or rules in the jurisdiction of the state health officer.
Flag
v Continued from Page 1B indefensible.”
After reading about it, Sorvillo said he assumed that Arkansas colleges and universities flew the flag, but later learned “it was not a requirement.”
“That prompted me to go ahead and run this bill, which I think basically salutes all the people that have made not only a great contribu- tion to our country, but to our state.”
Under the bill, all public- ly supported institutions of higher learning in the state shall fly the American flag and the Arkansas flag on “all national and state holi- days and at other times de- termined” by the colleges and universities. The bill contains no penalty for not following the provision if it became law.
State law already requires all public secondary schools to post both flags, according to Gail Morris, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Education.
The state has 11 four-year public universities and col- leges and 22 two-year institu- tions of higher learning, said Harold Criswell, the deputy director of the Arkansas De- partment of Higher Educa-
More information
on the Web
90th General Assembly
arkansasonline.com/legislature
Under the bill, if an elec- tric utility acquires land from a private property owner through eminent domain for a transmission line, the utility “shall compensate the private property owner at least three times the market value of the property taken by eminent domain.”
Hendren has said that provision of the bill is in response to the proposed 720-mile, $2 billion trans- mission line that would cut through a dozen counties in Arkansas.
Clean Line Energy’s planned project would run 3,500 megawatts of wind energy from Oklahoma, through Arkansas, to Ten- nessee. It has faced opposi- tion from some Arkansans, including landowners living in or near its path.
This is the fifth time Hen- dren has proposed this type of legislation.
The state House of Rep- resentatives passed similar legislation in 1995, 1997 and 1999 when he served there, and the Senate approved a similar bill two years ago, he said.
Two years ago, the legisla- tion failed to clear the House Judiciary Committee.
Earlier this month, Don Zimmerman, executive di- rector for the Arkansas Municipal League, said the league was “neutral” on the legislation because “we com- promised with [Hendren].” Texas cities generally haven’t had a problem with a similar law over the years, he said.
tion.
He said he was unaware
if any of the schools did or didn’t fly the flags. “I don’t think that’s something we know. We suspect all cam- puses have flags. It’s just not something we know or deal with.”
A representative of Ar- kansas’ Independent Col- leges and Universities, which has 11 private universities and colleges as members, also couldn’t say definitely whether all of them fly flags.
“I think the U.S. flag flies at some spot on all of our campuses, but I have never paid much attention,” said Rex Nelson, the organiza- tion’s president.
Rep. Julie Mayberry, R-Hensley, asked Sorvillo if every school was even equipped to fly a flag. “Are we confident every school already has a flagpole to fly the flag?”
Sorvillo said he didn’t know but added that he has been assured by represen- tatives that Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville both fly flags.
“I think this is more of a statement, hopefully, [and] a great reminder for our young people, as they process through their four or five years, of what this country is all about,” Sorvillo said.
First Baptist Church of Maumelle
Join us Easter Sunday - April 5 @ 10:15am Come celebrate the resurrection of
our Lord & Savior JESUS Christ with us.
FBCM is located at 100 Valencia Drice Corner of Maumelle Blvd & Millwood Circle *Sunday school - 9:00am for all ages
I-530 lane to shut for work on bridge
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE PINE BLUFF — A crew will repair a failed bridge joint on Interstate 530 in Jefferson Coun- ty, requiring a lane closure, the state Highway and Transporta-
tion Department said.
The work, which will begin
at 7 a.m. Monday, is scheduled to be finished Thursday eve-
ning. The southbound inside lane of Interstate 530 will be closed at approximately mile marker 41 so crews can repair the bridge joint. The bridge is about one-half-mile north of the Hazel Street exit (Exit 42).
One lane will remain open while the work is being done, the agency said.
www.gracelutheranlr.org
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/MELISSA SUE GERRITS
HOLY WEEK AT LAKEWOOD
Celebrating sixty years
of vibrant community in service to Jesus Christ
Palm Sunday Children’s Parade
With real live donkey! Sunday, March 29, at 10 am
Holy Week Healing Service
Wednesday, April 1, at 6:30 pm
Holy Thursday Service of Communion
Thursday, April 2, at 7 pm
Good Friday Service of Passion
Friday, April 3, at 7 pm
Children’s Easter Celebration & Egg Hunt
Saturday, April 4,10 am
Special Easter Services and Celebration!
Contemporary and Traditional Services 9 am and again at 11 am! Sunday, April 5
Lakewood United Methodist Church
1922 Topf Road • N.L.R. • 501-753-6186
expandingthelight.org