The Ninety-Second Arkansas General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Arkansas in 2019 and 2020. In this General Assembly, the Arkansas Senate and Arkansas House of Representatives were both controlled by the Republicans. In the Senate, 26 senators were Republicans and 9 were Democrats. In the House, 76 representatives were Republicans, 24 were Democrats. A special session was called in March 2020 to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
| 92nd Arkansas General Assembly | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
 Arkansas State Capitol (2009) | |||||||
| Overview | |||||||
| Meeting place | Arkansas State Capitol Jack Stephens Center (House, special session)[1] | ||||||
| Term | January 14, 2019 – | ||||||
| Website | https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ | ||||||
| Arkansas Senate | |||||||
 Senate party standings | |||||||
| Members | 35 (26 R, 9 D) | ||||||
| President of the Senate | Tim Griffin (R) | ||||||
| President Pro Tempore of the Senate | Jim Hendren (R) | ||||||
| Majority Leader | Bart Hester (R) | ||||||
| Minority Leader | Keith Ingram (D) | ||||||
| Party control | Republican Party | ||||||
| House of Representatives | |||||||
.svg) House party standings | |||||||
| Members | 100 (76 R, 24 D) | ||||||
| House Speaker | Matthew Shepherd (R) | ||||||
| Speaker pro Tempore | Jon Eubanks (R) | ||||||
| Majority Leader | Marcus Richmond (R) | ||||||
| Minority Leader | Fredrick Love (D) | ||||||
| Party control | Republican Party | ||||||
| Sessions | |||||||
| |||||||
Sessions edit
- The Regular Session of the 92nd General Assembly opened on January 14, 2019. It adjourned sine die on April 24, 2019.[2]
- Governor Asa Hutchinson called for a special session to begin March 26, 2020 to address the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] Due to social distancing recommendations, the 35 senators met in the 100-seat House chamber, and the House met in the Jack Stephens Center basketball arena on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus.[1]
- The Fiscal Session began April 8, 2020 and concluded April 24.
Major events edit
Vacancies edit
- Representative John Walker (D-34th) died on October 28, 2019.[4] The Democratic primary to fill the seat was held January 14, resulting in a runoff between Joy Springer and Ryan Davis. The runoff appeared to end in a tie until a ballot arrived from Sweden, giving Springer the one-vote win.[5] She defeated independent candidate Roderick Talley on March 3 and was sworn March 18, 2020 to fill the seat for the remainder of the term.[6]
- Representative Mickey Gates (R-22nd) made national news in 2018 for failing to pay taxes for 15 years, but had resisted calls for his resignation.[7] The House voted to expel Gates in October 2019, leaving his seat vacant until a special election.[8] Richard McGrew (R) won a special election on March 3 to fill the seat for remainder of the term. He was sworn in on March 18, 2020.[6]
Legislative summary edit
The legislature was prolific during the regular session, considering 684 Senate bills and 986 House bills. A total of 1,091 bills become law; Governor Asa Hutchinson did not veto any bills.
- The governor's priority, state government reorganization, merged state agencies from 42 to 15 under the Transformation and Efficiency Act of 2019.
- Act 182 cuts Arkansas's top individual income tax rate from 6.9 percent to 5.9 percent over two years.
In the special session, both chambers unanimously sent identical COVID-19 relief-related bills enabling the creation of a $173 million COVID-19 Rainy Day Fund from previously unallocated reserves.[9] By the start of the fiscal session, three lawmakers had tested positive for COVID-19.[10] A short fiscal session met to pass an annual budget, revised lower due to lower revenue forecasts, and reauthorized Arkansas Works, Arkansas's Medicaid expansion.[11] Lawmakers and staff were provided with cloth masks sewed by friends and family of Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R-87th).[12]
Lawmakers produced a $5.89 billion general revenue budget in the fiscal session by votes of 35-0 and 98-0 and sent it to the governor on April 16.[13]
Senate edit
Leadership edit
Officers edit
| Office | Officer | Party | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| President/Lieutenant Governor | Tim Griffin | Republican | |
| President Pro Tempore of the Senate | Jim Hendren | Republican | 2 |
| Assistant Presidents pro tempore | John Cooper | Republican | 21 |
| Kim Hammer | Republican | 33 | |
| Mathew Pitsch | Republican | 8 | |
| Stephanie Flowers | Democratic | 25 |
Floor Leaders edit
| Office | Officer | Party | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Majority Leader | Bart Hester | Republican | 1 |
| Majority Whip | Scott Flippo | Republican | 17 |
| Minority Leader | Keith Ingram | Democratic | 24 |
| Minority Whip | Will Bond | Democratic | 32 |
Source: Arkansas Senate[14]
Senators edit
| District | Name[15] | Party | Residence | First elected | Seat up | Term-limited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bart Hester | Rep | Cave Springs | 2012 | 2020 | 2028 |
| 2 | Jim Hendren | Rep | Gravette | 2012 | 2020 | 2028 |
| 3 | Cecile Bledsoe | Rep | Rogers | 2008 | 2020 | 2020 |
| 4 | Greg Leding | Dem | Fayetteville | 2018 | 2020 | |
| 5 | Bob Ballinger | Rep | Berryville | 2018 | 2020 | |
| 6 | Gary Stubblefield | Rep | Branch | 2012 | 2020 | 2028 |
| 7 | Lance Eads | Rep | Springdale | 2016 | 2020 | 2032 |
| 8 | Mathew Pitsch | Rep | Fort Smith | 2018 | 2020 | |
| 9 | Terry Rice | Rep | Waldron | 2014 | 2020 | 2024 |
| 10 | Larry Teague | Dem | Nashville | 2008 | 2020 | 2020 |
| 11 | Jimmy Hickey Jr. | Rep | Texarkana | 2012 | 2020 | 2028 |
| 12 | Bruce Maloch | Dem | Magnolia | 2012 | 2020 | 2028 |
| 13 | Alan Clark | Rep | Lonsdale | 2012 | 2020 | 2028 |
| 14 | Bill Sample | Rep | Hot Springs | 2010 | 2020 | 2020 |
| 15 | Mark Johnson | Rep | Little Rock | 2018 | 2020 | |
| 16 | Breanne Davis | Rep | Russellville | 2018 (special) | 2020 | |
| 17 | Scott Flippo | Rep | Mountain Home | 2014 | 2020 | 2030 |
| 18 | Missy Irvin | Rep | Mountain View | 2010 | 2020 | 2026 |
| 19 | James Sturch | Rep | Batesville | 2018 | 2020 | |
| 20 | Blake Johnson | Rep | Corning | 2014 | 2020 | 2030 |
| 21 | John Cooper | Rep | Jonesboro | 2014 (special) | 2020 | 2032 |
| 22 | Dave Wallace | Rep | Leachville | 2016 | 2020 | 2026 |
| 23 | Ron Caldwell | Rep | Wynne | 2012 | 2020 | 2028 |
| 24 | Keith Ingram | Dem | West Memphis | 2012 | 2020 | 2024 |
| 25 | Stephanie Flowers | Dem | Pine Bluff | 2010 | 2020 | 2020 |
| 26 | Eddie Cheatham | Dem | Crossett | 2012 | 2020 | 2022 |
| 27 | Trent Garner | Rep | El Dorado | 2016 | 2020 | 2032 |
| 28 | Jonathan Dismang | Rep | Beebe | 2010 | 2020 | 2024 |
| 29 | Ricky Hill | Rep | Cabot | 2018 (special) | 2020 | |
| 30 | Linda Chesterfield | Dem | Little Rock | 2010 | 2020 | 2020 |
| 31 | Joyce Elliott | Dem | Little Rock | 2008 | 2020 | 2020 |
| 32 | Will Bond | Dem | Little Rock | 2016 | 2020 | 2020 |
| 33 | Kim Hammer | Rep | Benton | 2018 | 2020 | |
| 34 | Jane English | Rep | North Little Rock | 2012 | 2020 | 2026 |
| 35 | Jason Rapert | Rep | Conway | 2010 | 2020 | 2026 |
House of Representatives edit
Leadership edit
Officers edit
| Office | Officer | Party | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives | Matthew Shepherd | Republican | 6 |
| Speaker pro tempore | Jon Eubanks | Republican | 74 |
| Assistant Speaker pro tempore | Ken Bragg | Republican | 15 |
| Michelle Gray | Republican | 62 | |
| Fred Allen | Democratic | 30 | |
| Jon Payton | Republican | 64 |
Floor Leaders edit
| Office | Officer | Party | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Majority Leader | Marcus Richmond | Republican | 21 |
| Majority Whip | Brandt Smith | Republican | 58 |
| Minority Leader | Fredrick Love | Democratic | 29 |
| Minority Whip | LeAnne Burch | Democratic | 9 |
Source: Arkansas House of Representatives[16]
Representatives edit
| District | Name[15] | Party | First elected | Term-limited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carol Dalby | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 2 | Lane Jean | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 3 | Danny Watson | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 4 | DeAnn Vaught | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 5 | David Fielding | Dem | 2010 | 2026 |
| 6 | Matthew Shepherd | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 7 | Sonia Eubanks Barker | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 8 | Jeff Wardlaw | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 9 | LeAnne Burch | Dem | 2016 | 2032 |
| 10 | Mike Holcomb | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 11 | Don Edward Glover | Dem | 2018 | 2034 |
| 12 | Chris Richey | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 13 | David Hillman | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 14 | Roger Lynch | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 15 | Ken Bragg | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 16 | Ken Ferguson | Dem | 2014 | 2030 |
| 17 | Vivian Flowers | Dem | 2014 | 2030 |
| 18 | Richard Womack | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 19 | Justin Gonzales | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 20 | John Maddox | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 21 | Marcus Richmond | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 22 | Mickey Gates[Note 1] | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 23 | Lanny Fite | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 24 | Bruce Cozart | Rep | 2011† | 2028 |
| 25 | Les Warren | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 26 | Laurie Rushing | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 27 | Julie Mayberry | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 28 | Jasen Kelly | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 29 | Fredrick Love | Dem | 2010 | 2026 |
| 30 | Fred Allen | Dem | 2016 | 2032 |
| 31 | Andy Davis | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 32 | Jim Sorvillo | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 33 | Tippi McCullough | Dem | 2018 | 2034 |
| 34 | John Walker[Note 2] | Dem | 2010 | 2026 |
| 35 | Andrew Collins | Dem | 2018 | 2034 |
| 36 | Denise Ennett | Dem | 2019† | 2034 |
| 37 | Jamie Aleshia Scott | Dem | 2018 | 2028 |
| 38 | Carlton Wing | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 39 | Mark Lowery | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 40 | Douglas House | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 41 | Karilyn Brown | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 42 | Mark Perry | Dem | 2018 | 2034 |
| 43 | Brian Evans | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 44 | Cameron Cooper | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 45 | Jim Wooten | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 46 | Les Eaves | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 47 | Craig Christiansen | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 48 | Reginald Murdock | Dem | 2010 | 2026 |
| 49 | Steve Hollowell | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 50 | Milton Nicks | Dem | 2014 | 2030 |
| 51 | Deborah Ferguson | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 52 | Dwight Tosh | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 53 | Dan Sullivan | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 54 | Johnny Rye | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 55 | Monte Hodges | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 56 | Joe Jett | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 57 | Jimmy Gazaway | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 58 | Brandt Smith | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 59 | Jack Ladyman | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 60 | Frances Cavenaugh | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 61 | Marsh Davis | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 62 | Michelle Gray | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 63 | Stu Smith | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 64 | John Payton | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 65 | Rick Beck | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 66 | Josh Miller | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 67 | Stephen Meeks | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 68 | Stan Berry | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 69 | Aaron Pilkington | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 70 | Spencer Hawks | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 71 | Joe Cloud | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 72 | Stephen Magie | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 73 | Mary Bentley | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 74 | Jon Eubanks | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 75 | Lee Johnson | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 76 | Cindy Crawford | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 77 | Justin Boyd | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 78 | Jay Richardson | Dem | 2018 | 2034 |
| 79 | Gary Deffenbaugh | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 80 | Charlene Fite | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 81 | Bruce Coleman | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 82 | Sarah Capp | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 83 | Keith Slape | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 84 | Denise Garner | Dem | 2018 | 2034 |
| 85 | David Whitaker | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 86 | Nicole Clowney | Dem | 2018 | 2034 |
| 87 | Robin Lundstrum | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 88 | Clint Penzo | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 89 | Megan Godfrey | Dem | 2018 | 2034 |
| 90 | Jana Della Rosa | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 91 | Dan Douglas | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 92 | Gayla McKenzie | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 93 | Jim Dotson | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 94 | Rebecca Petty | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 95 | Austin McCollum | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 96 | Grant Hodges | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 97 | Harlan Breaux | Rep | 2018 | 2034 |
| 98 | Ron McNair | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
| 99 | Jack Fortner | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 100 | Nelda Speaks | Rep | 2014 | 2030 |
References edit
- ^ a b Moritz, John; Wickline, Michael R. (March 27, 2020). "State lawmakers meet — Senate in its chambers, House in basketball arena — to weigh covid-19 fund". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Little Rock: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. ISSN 1060-4332. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ Wickline, Michael R. (April 22, 2019). "Capitol session wraps up this week". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Little Rock, AR. ISSN 1060-4332. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ Wickline, Michael R. (March 24, 2020). "Arkansas governor says he plans to call special session on Thursday". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. ISSN 1060-4332. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ a b Wickline, Michael R.; Kruse, Nyssa. "State legislator, civil-rights attorney John Walker dies at 82". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Little Rock: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. ISSN 1060-4332. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ Moritz, John (February 22, 2020). "Ballot from Sweden breaks House-race tie". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Little Rock: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. pp. 1B, 3B. ISSN 1060-4332. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Wickline, Michael R. (March 18, 2020). "Two state lawmakers sworn into office - Filling vacancies in the House, both will face challengers in November". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Little Rock: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. ISSN 1060-4332. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ Dedaj, Paulina (June 28, 2018). "Arkansas lawmaker accused of filing no taxes for 15 years arrested". Fox News. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
- ^ a b Glisovic, Marine (October 11, 2019). "Rep. Mickey Gates expelled from Arkansas House in historic vote". KATV. ABC7.
- ^ Moritz, John; Wickline, Michael R. (March 28, 2020). "Lawmakers pass 'rainy-day' funding - $173M put on tap for budget holes". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Little Rock: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. ISSN 1060-4332. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ Moritz, John (April 7, 2020). "3rd state House member tests positive for covid-19". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Little Rock: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. pp. 9, 11. ISSN 1060-4332. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ "Arkansas lawmakers OK budget, ending session amid pandemic". Little Rock: Associated Press. April 16, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020 – via Newsbank.
- ^ Rice, Maylon T. (April 22, 2020). "Volunteers Create Masks For State Legislators, Staff". Washington County Enterprise-Leader. Farmington: Northwest Arkansas Newspapers, LLC. p. 8A.
- ^ Wickline, Michael R. (April 16, 2020). "Arkansas House, Senate OK budget bills, wrap up fiscal session". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Little Rock: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. ISSN 1060-4332. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ Staff of the Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Research (2019). "Leadership". Little Rock: Arkansas Senate. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ a b Staff of the Arkansas General Assembly (2020). "Legislators List". Arkansas General Assembly. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ Staff of the Arkansas House of Representatives (2019). "Leadership". Little Rock: Arkansas House of Representatives. Retrieved March 31, 2020.