One of the most contentious issues Arkansas lawmakers confronted this year had nothing to do with the state’s multibillion-dollar budget or millions proposed in income tax cuts. Nor was it related to hot-button topics like school vouchers.
What riled up lawmakers instead was the prospect that dozens of high school girls would be unable to participate in a civic tradition that dates back to World War II. The dispute endangered the Legislature’s relationship with Arkansas Girls State, with lawmakers threatening to revoke the group’s access to House and Senate chambers.
The near-split from Arkansas Girls State arose during the session that wrapped up last month and centered around the program’s application deadline. The bipartisan backlash against the group’s deadlines highlighted the importance of the civic education Girls State has provided for high school students, lawmakers said…