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Jefferson County quorum court meets in committee

The committee meeting lasted less than 10 minutes and included some tense conversations.

PINE BLUFF, Ark. — The Jefferson County quorum court met for the first time Tuesday night since elected officials expressed concerns about no legislation being passed this year.

The committee meeting lasted less than 10 minutes, but didn't come without some tense conversations.

The lone item on the agenda was to decide what rules of procedure to choose for the quorum court to vote on.

The rules of procedure ordinance governs laws that control how meetings will go for the next two years and how things are placed on the agenda.

The meeting began with the bang of a gavel and roll call, but County Judge Gerald Robinson left shortly after.

"The committee meetings are left up to the committee chairs, and really there's no reason for me to be there," Robinson said. "It's a meeting left up to the committee."

There were two drafts of rules for the committee to choose from.

Robinson created one draft, while several justices of the peace crafted the other.

This has sparked debate since the beginning of the year in Jefferson County.

The quorum court was supposed to have these passed, but this year no legislation has been voted on.

"In January, when we received our agenda, there was already a rules of procedure ordinance that had been drafted solely by the county judge," Justice of the Peace Lloyd Franklin said.

According to Robinson, the justices of the peace version attempted to strip some power from the county judge.

"You cannot take away any powers of the county judge because it's constitutional," Robinson said. "It's written in the law, and I think some of those that they have written contradict that."

A motion was made to pass the county judge's version of the rules 4-3 and will now head to the quorum court on May 22.

The quorum court is expected to decide whether or not to pass this latest version of the rules.

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