The Arkansas Education Association is asking its members and all other educators to contact two groups of Senators and the Governor, and request that they support an amendment to HB 1413.

HB 1413 is an appropriation bill to authorize funding for the Public School Employee Health Insurance Program in the 2009-2010 school year. The amendment would provide an additional $25 million in funding for the program. The amendment is proposed by the bill's lead sponsor, Rep. Bill Abernathy (D-Mena).

The Senate Joint Budget Committee's (JBC) Special Language Subcommittee will meet Wednesday morning to consider this amendment. Speaker Robbie Wills’ leadership team - Reps. Curren Everett (D-Salem), Bruce Maloch (D-Magnolia) and Abernathy - has asked AEA members to contact the Senate members of the Special Language Committee. These senators are:
 
Sen. Paul Bookout (D-Jonesboro), Chair, bookoutp@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Gilbert Baker (R-Conway), bakerg@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. John Paul Capps (D-Searcy), cappsj@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Steve Faris (D-Malvern), e-mail not listed
Sen. Kim Hendren (R-Gravette), hendrenk@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Bob Johnson (D-Bigelow), e-mail not listed
Sen. Randy Laverty (D-Jasper), e-mail not listed
Sen. Terry Smith (D-Hot Springs), tsmith@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Ruth Whitaker (R-Cedarville), whitakerr@arkleg.state.ar.us

AEA members and other educators should ask each of these senators to support Rep. Abernathy’s amendment to HB 1413, which will provide an additional $25 million in funding for the Public School Health Insurance Program. You may contact them using the e-mail addresses provided above, or by phone at 501-682-2902. This phone number is only in operation when the Senate is in session.

If Rep. Abernathy’s funding amendment to HB 1413 is adopted by the Special Language Subcommittee on Wednesday, the amended HB 1413 will go to the full JBC for a vote on Thursday morning.  All of the senators listed above are JBC members. Other Senate JBC members that must be contacted if the amended bill is adopted are:

Denny Altes (R-Fort Smith), aaltes@aol.com
Shane Broadway (D-Bryant), sbroadway@arkleg.state.ar.us
Steve Bryles (D-Little Rock), bryless@arkleg.state.ar.us
Jack Crumbly (D-Widener), crumblyj@arkleg.state.ar.us
Barbara Horn (D-Foreman), bhorn@arkleg.state.ar.us
Gene Jeffress (D-Louann), gjeffress@arkleg.state.ar.us
Jimmy Jeffress (D-Crossett), jjeffress@arkleg.state.ar.us
Jim Luker (D-Wynne), lukerj@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sue Madison (D-Fayetteville), madisons@arkleg.state.ar.us
Percy Malone (D-Arkadelphia), pmalone@arkleg.state.ar.us
Paul Miller (D-Melbourne), e-mail not listed
Mary Ann Salmon (D-North Little Rock), msalmon@arkleg.state.ar.us
Tracy Steele (D-North Little Rock), tsteele@arkleg.state.ar.us
Robert Thompson (D-Paragould), thompsonr@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sharon Trusty (R-Russellville), trustys@arkleg.state.ar.us
Ed Wilkinson (D-Greenwood), e-mail not listed

Contact the Governor to Support Amended HB 1413
The time has come for AEA members and other educators to contact Gov. Mike Beebe and ask him to support Rep. Abernathy’s amendment to HB 1413. You may contact the Governor by e-mail at governor.arkansas.gov/contact/index.php or by telephone at 501-682-2345.