Arkansas Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe called for changing...

Arkansas Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe called for changing 2011’s Act 1050 (http://bit.ly/1lB3u7v) that prevents K-12 schools from accessing the Arkansas Research Education Optical Network, known as ARE-ON, a news release said (http://1.usa.gov/1nMQZpt). Without access to the statewide broadband network, a recent report (http://bit.ly/1iBpZJy) from the Quality Digital Learning Study Committee found, the current network infrastructure for K-12 schools is “inadequate, inefficient and a poor return on taxpayer investment,” said the governor’s office Friday. “Giving K-12 schools the opportunity to access ARE-ON will provide better online availability for our students and save our taxpayers money,” Beebe said. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. John Vines, a Democrat, was not immediately available for comment.