Representative Bill Gossage

Meeting — March 19, 2013 (28:08)

For those who are not, have already retired, they already have a retirement option. These are for people who have retired from the highway police, state police, whatever the case may be, who are coming back. That option is not available to them now. The only option left available would be teacher retirement. So this ensures them a retirement? Yes. And it

Meeting — March 19, 2013 (27:48)

those who have already retired from the system. This is not your regular resource officer

Meeting — March 19, 2013 (27:55)

who's just beginning. Let's say they work for the city. They would be required to remain in that retirement system. It could be Lopfy, it could be APERS, whatever the case may be.

Meeting — March 19, 2013 (26:58)

That's why the retirement system from Arkansas Teacher Retirement System is not available to them. But what typically happens, it's kind of a shell game. Although they are employed by the city or the county, typically the school district pays it. They just allow the city or the county to pay the bill, and then they

Meeting — March 19, 2013 (26:44)

that's the reason for this bill. Currently in Arkansas, if you work in a public school as a school resource officer, you have to either be hired by the local municipal police force or county police force.

Meeting — March 19, 2013 (25:54)

do not or cannot be members of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System by law. This bill does not allow any school resource officer to join teacher retirement, but it does allow those who have already retired from another retirement system, when they join the public school, they can become part of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System. It's a good bill. It's going to allow some highly trained professional folks to be working as school resource officers for us, And I think it's a great idea.

Meeting — March 19, 2013 (25:32)

bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. I think we would all agree that in schools at this time it's a great idea to have the most experienced and best trained professionals possible serving in our school districts in a law enforcement capacity. One thing that might surprise you to know is that school resource officers currently do not

Meeting — March 18, 2013 (16:05)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And just like the previous motion, this just adds a co-sponsor in the Senate. It's the only change in this amendment.

Meeting — Jan. 30, 2013 (47:06)

service worker in schools after a long period of time you probably don't want get into that today. But that was a great program, and I would strongly urge you to find a way to continue that program because it did exactly what you were talking

Meeting — Jan. 30, 2013 (46:35)

And it started out many years ago, funded almost entirely by a grant from the federal government to DHS. it was one of the best things that had ever happened in our school and he was doing the exact duties that you referred to he was going making home visits he was going picking up kids bring them to school take them to doctor's appointments accompanying them when they were referred to court working with families all these things and then last year that funding was stopped for for our human

Meeting — Jan. 30, 2013 (45:57)

I think that's the right way to go. As I looked at this one model program in Texas County, it was incredible. Once you pulled them all together, the resources that were available, and they actually met once a month to talk about how they could work together and coordinate activities and build a plan for those students. The other question goes back to your point, though, about handling these things in school. Everybody here knows I'm an assistant school superintendent. In the Ozark Public Schools, we had a human service worker program, and you all are probably aware of this.

Meeting — Jan. 30, 2013 (43:43)

interagency juvenile task force that in each county all the different organizations both non-governmental and governmental they meet monthly and they work on these kinds of issues to develop resources when each county is that Is that something that we're looking to do, or is that something we're already doing? Well, we received

Meeting — Jan. 30, 2013 (43:36)

recognized thank you mr. chair I have a couple of questions the first one I know in some states they have developed an

Meeting — Jan. 30, 2013 (43:34)

I believe in treatment representative Gossett you

Meeting — Jan. 23, 2013 (58:55)

One other question. Does this only apply to spouses of military personnel who live in the state of Arkansas? Or, for instance, if some military spouse in an adjacent state just across the line would like to teach school in Arkansas, would this law also apply to them? Well, if you look at line 35, it says military service members stationed in

Meeting — Jan. 23, 2013 (57:39)

What would be the effect on the school district for having employed someone who was not certified to teach? Would they be in violation of standards of accreditation at that point, or what would happen? I

Meeting — Jan. 23, 2013 (57:18)

Representative Gossage for a question. Thank you, Chairman. Let's say, for instance, they're a chemistry teacher and they're guaranteed a temporary license and they're teaching at a public school in Arkansas. And then at the end of the day, for whatever reason, their application is rejected and they're not going to be certified as a licensed chemistry teacher.

Meeting — Jan. 17, 2013 (26:45)

the week so this is real convenient for me to have gotten elected and be down here with her have one son Johnny works in Arkansas Valley Electric co-op in Ozark have one granddaughter Kenley

Meeting — Jan. 17, 2013 (26:13)

Thank you. Representative Gossage. I'm Bill Gossage. I represent District 82, which is primarily Franklin and Madison County, a little bit of Crawford County. I affectionately call it the Pig Trail District because Highway 23 kind of splits it right in half. It's a great part of Arkansas. My wife, Tanya, has been married 28 years. she works for Bank of the Ozarks has that entire time was over retail banking and training for Bank of the Ozarks and actually she lives in Little Rock during

Meeting — Jan. 16, 2013 (8:09)

in very difficult circumstances in a nursing home, but as a result, a lot of it from injuries received in World War II. My mom's 83. So I think, you know, I have had contact in the past and still do about issues that affect this committee, and I look forward to serving on it.