Arkansas – The 93rd General Assembly of the Arkansas legislature is underway, and taking the lead this session is a senator from the Ark-La-Tex area.
Senator Jimmy Hickey of Texarkana has officially been sworn in as president for the Arkansas senate.
The Arkansas legislature began Monday, Jan. 11, and the senator said preparation for this session began months ago with COVID-19 issues topping the agenda.
“We put an adjacent room close to the committee room with live feeds and tv in those rooms so the public can be there to view if they are going to testify for a bill and still socially distance,” said Hickey.
Sen. Hickey said this action was taken to keep the public and legislators safe from the virus.
Concerning safety, the senator addressed the alleged threats of violence at state capitol buildings following the assault on the U.S. capitol last week. According to the senator, security appears to be adequate.
“I think our constituent know they have access to us, they can talk to us. That being said we have done our due diligence and are prepared for things as they could come up, although we don’t expect them,” said Hickey.
