Becky Gillette – Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, was featured in an Arkansas Democrat Gazette article on ethics reform last Sunday regarding a trip Florida he attended paid for by the Foundation for Governmental Accountability, a nonprofit organization opposed to the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare and the Arkansas Private Option Medicaid expansion.
In 2014 voters approved Amendment 94 barring lobbyists from covering legislators’ expenses for trips unless the money is from a regional or national organization to attend a regional or national conference.
“It is not a lobbyist-funded deal,” King was quoted as saying. In an interview with the Independent, he said that it was an educational trip and he accepts free trips to attend a number of conferences both with groups he generally agrees with and those he doesn’t usually agree with.
Amendment 94 also had a provision establishing a citizen commission on legislators’ salaries that ended up doubling those salaries. King said that isn’t quite accurate as he now doesn’t get as much in expense money. The amendment also extended term limits. King, for example, said he could probably serve one more term, but hasn’t yet decided if he will run again.