Page 2 - Ann Cornwell News Today

The Arkansas Senate Ethics Committee on Friday recommended the Senate suspend Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, for the rest of this year and strip him of seniority for the rest of this year and the next two years.

Arkansas Sen. Stephanie Flowers, D-Pine Bluff, has reimbursed the Senate nearly $3,000 that she improperly received in per diem and travel expense payments for Legislative meetings she attended via videoconference.

A state senator from Pine Bluff who attended legislative meetings via videoconference has reimbursed the Senate nearly $3,000 that she improperly received in per diem and travel expense payments for those meetings.

Citing financial reasons, the Arkansas National Guard Foundation has terminated its fundraising counsel agreement with Catherine Johnson, the wife of state Sen. Mark Johnson, R-Ferndale, the foundations executive director said Friday.

The Arkansas Senate Ethics has recommended that Sens. Alan Clark and Mark Johnson be stripped of their committee chairman and vice chairman posts and of their eligibility for per diem and mileage reimbursement for the rest of this year.

Arkansas Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, said he made a mistake in asking Sen. Mark Johnson, R-Ferndale, to sign Clarks name on a sign-in sheet to be paid reimbursement for a Senate Boys State committee meeting June 3 that Clark didnt attend because he was sick.

The state Senate Ethics Committee will continue deliberations about two ethics complaints filed against state senators Monday morning, after the committee convened in a private executive session for more than seven hours Thursday.

The Arkansas Senate Ethics Committee is scheduled to convene on Wednesday and Thursday, after the Senate Rules Committee appointed a temporary replacement for an ethics committee member.