The Executive Subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC), chaired by Senator Bill Sample (Hot Springs) and Representative David Branscum (Marshall), met July 5th to consider a request by the Arkansas State Plant Board to review and approve emergency rules regarding a ban on the sale and use of dicamba herbicide and a rule regarding pesticide enforcement through the use of civil penalties. Terry Walker, Director, Arkansas State Plant Board, presented these rules to the committee.
ALC approved the rule regarding civil penalties, but because the Executive Subcommittee does not accept testimony from the public, and consensus was that those who wanted to speak for and against the dicamba ban should be heard, this rule was referred to Joint Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development committee, which met the morning of Friday, July 7th.
The Ag committee, chaired by Senator Ron Caldwell (Wynne) and Representative Dan Douglas (Bentonville), approved the rule and referred it back to ALC for approval that afternoon.
The Executive Subcommittee of the ALC took no action on the Board's rules, leaving it to go into effect at 12:01am on July 11.
Source: ArAAA
