The Little Rock City Board handled a bunch of important issues tonight:
* INSURANCE: It saved $2 million by switching from Qualchoice, the Catholic Health Intiatives-owned insurance company, to the Arkansas Municipal League coverage.No doubt you can get birth control pills under the new insurance company, iffy under Catholic insurance.
* PIGS: Over many objections, the city adopted an ordinance to prohibit the keeping of Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs as pets in the city unless they are at least 100 yards from the nearest residence or business. This will force the removal of W.P Sooie, a pet whose case revealed contradictions in existing city ordinances.
* UBER: The board approved an ordinance to allow the operation of transportation network companies, meaning outfits like Uber that dispatch cars based on smart phone apps. BUT …. There were some objectors. And the emergency clause didn’t pass. Which delays the ordinance’s effective date for 30 days. And the issue will come up next week on some minor quibbles. Good question from Director Joan Adcock, a critic of Uber, which is operating in the city without a permit: Its free introductory offer has expired. It can’t operate legally for a month. Will the city crack down on illegal rides-for-fees? Uh, don’t know. But Uber has plenty of lawyers and lobbyists and PR flacks.