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House to meet Aug. 5 on rule blocking lawmaker Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 By Jason Wiest Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - The state House will meet next month to consider a new rule that would keep a former member from regaining the seat he resigned in a plea agreement on a felony sexual assault charge, the House speaker said Wednesday. Speaker Benny Petrus, D-Stuttgart, said the rule House members will consider Aug. 5 would be "iron-clad" in keeping former Rep. Dwayne Dobbins of North Little Rock from being seated if Dobbins runs for the District 39 seat in November and wins. The state Democratic Party approved a similar party rule change last week and refused to certify Dobbins as a Democratic candidate for the general election. But Dobbins still could sue the party, Petrus noted. The proposed House rule change would ban anyone who has resigned from public office as part of a plea bargain to avoid felony prosecution from being seated as a member. Petrus said he filed the proposal Wednesday after a survey of House members indicated the measure would pass by a "high percentage." "Our goal is to make sure that someone (under similar circumstances) can't come in no matter what their party affiliation," Petrus said. "This is not a Dobbins rule. Somebody could write in." The rule change requires approval from 67 of the 100 House members and can be completed in one day, he said. Dobbins resigned from his legislative seat in 2005 and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment in a plea bargain reached after he was arrested on a felony sexual assault charge. Prosecutors said he fondled a 17-year-old girl. The plea arrangement required him to pay a $1,000 fine, undergo counseling and resign his legislative seat, but did not restrict him from seeking public office in the future. In March, Dobbins filed at the last minute to run for his old seat, currently held by his wife, Sharon, who did not file for re-election. Dobbins was unopposed in the May Democratic primary and drew no Republican opponent for the general election. Since then, The Green Party of Arkansas has nominated Richard Carroll, and retired educator Clinton Hampton has filed as a write-in candidate. Leon Johnson, an attorney to whom Dobbins has referred calls, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday. |
