89th Arkansas General Assembly
# 89th Arkansas General Assembly

The Eighty-Ninth Arkansas General Assembly was the legislative body of the state of Arkansas in 2013 and 2014. In this General Assembly, the Arkansas Senate and Arkansas House of Representatives were both controlled by the Republicans. In the Senate, 21 senators were Republicans and 14 were Democrats. In the House, 69 representatives were Republicans, 30 were Democrats, and one was independent. The 89th General Assembly was the first time both chambers were controlled by Republicans since the Reconstruction era.

## Sessions

The Regular Session of the 89th General Assembly opened on January 14, 2013.

It adjourned sine die May 1, 2014 and was immediately followed the First Extraordinary Session.

## Major events

### Vacancies

* Senator Paul Bookout (D-21st) resigned January 29, 2014, following an investigation finding he spent campaign funds on personal expenses. He was replaced by John Cooper (R) via special election on January 29, 2014.
* Lieutenant Governor Mark Darr (R), resigned February 1, 2014 under threat of impeachment following an investigation finding campaign and office spending ethics violations. The lieutenant governor presides as President of the Senate, but only casts tiebreaking votes. The position remained vacant through the fiscal session until the November 2014 elections. The entire staff of the lieutenant governor's office resigned days after President Pro Tem Michael Lamoureux (R-16th) sought control over the office staff.

## Senate

### Leadership

**Officers**

| Office | Officer | Party | District |
| - | - | - | - |
| President/Lieutenant Governor | Mark Darr | Republican | |
| President Pro Tempore of the Senate | Michael Lamoureux | Republican | 16 |
| Assistant Presidents pro tempore | Missy Irvin | Republican | 18 |
| Assistant Presidents pro tempore | Jeremy Hutchinson | Republican | 33 |
| Assistant Presidents pro tempore | Bruce Holland | Republican | 9 |
| Assistant Presidents pro tempore | Stephanie Flowers | Democratic | 25 |

**Floor Leaders**

| Office | Officer | Party | District |
| - | - | - | - |
| Majority Leader | Eddie Joe Williams | Republican | 29 |
| Majority Whip | Jonathan Dismang | Republican | 28 |
| Minority Leader | Keith Ingram | Democratic | 24 |
| Minority Whip | Bobby J. Pierce | Democratic | 27 |

### Senators

| District | Name | 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 | 2018 | 2020 |
| 4 | Uvalde Lindsey | Dem | Fayetteville | 2012 | 2018 | 2026 |
| 5 | Bryan King | Rep | Green Forest | 2012 | 2018 | 2024 |
| 6 | Gary Stubblefield | Rep | Branch | 2012 | 2018 | 2028 |
| 7 | Jon Woods | Rep | Springdale | 2006 | 2020 | |
| 8 | Jake Files | Rep | Fort Smith | 2013 | 2018 | |
| 9 | Bruce Holland | Rep | Greenwood | 2010 | 2018 | |
| 10 | Larry Teague | Dem | Nashville | 2008 | 2018 | 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 | 2018 | 2020 |
| 15 | David J. Sanders | Rep | Little Rock | 2012 | 2018 | 2026 |
| 16 | Michael Lamoureux | Rep | Russellville | 2002 | 2020 | |
| 17 | Johnny Key | Rep | Mountain Home | 2002 | 2018 | |
| 18 | Missy Irvin | Rep | Mountain View | 2010 | 2018 | 2026 |
| 19 | David Wyatt | Dem | Batesville | 2005 | 2018 | |
| 20 | Robert Thompson | Dem | Paragould | 2014 | 2018 | 2030 |
| 21 | Paul Bookout | Dem | Jonesboro | 1998 | 2020 | |
| 22 | David Burnett | Dem | Osceola | 2010 | 2020 | |
| 23 | Ron Caldwell | Rep | Wynne | 2012 | 2020 | 2028 |
| 24 | Keith Ingram | Dem | West Memphis | 2012 | 2018 | 2024 |
| 25 | Stephanie Flowers | Dem | Pine Bluff | 2010 | 2020 | 2020 |
| 26 | Eddie Cheatham | Dem | Crossett | 2012 | 2020 | 2022 |
| 27 | Bobby J. Pierce | Dem | Sheridan | 2006 | 2020 | |
| 28 | Jonathan Dismang | Rep | Beebe | 2010 | 2020 | 2024 |
| 29 | Eddie Joe Williams | Rep | Cabot | 2010 | 2020 | 2024 |
| 30 | Linda Chesterfield | Dem | Little Rock | 2010 | 2018 | 2020 |
| 31 | Joyce Elliott | Dem | Little Rock | 2008 | 2018 | 2020 |
| 32 | David Johnson | Dem | Little Rock | 2004 | 2020 | |
| 33 | Jeremy Hutchinson | Rep | Benton | 2010 | 2018 | 2020 |
| 34 | Jane English | Rep | North Little Rock | 2012 | 2020 | 2026 |
| 35 | Jason Rapert | Rep | Conway | 2010 | 2018 | 2026 |

* ↑ Resigned August 20, 2013. John Cooper (R) sworn January 29, 2014.

## House of Representatives

### Leadership

**Officers**

| Office | Officer | Party | District |
| - | - | - | - |
| Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives | Davy Carter | Republican | 43 |
| Speaker Pro Tempore | Darrin Williams | Democratic | 26 |
| Assistant Speaker pro tempore | Missy Irvin | Republican | 18 |
| Assistant Speaker pro tempore | Jeremy Hutchinson | Republican | 33 |
| Assistant Speaker pro tempore | Bruce Holland | Republican | 9 |
| Assistant Speaker pro tempore | Stephanie Flowers | Democratic | 25 |

The Democratically-controlled 88th General Assembly elected Darrin Williams (D-26th) as speaker-designate for the 89th General Assembly. He was challenged by Terry Rice (R-21st), but won the speaker-designate election on a party line vote. When the Republicans claimed control of the House in the November 2012 elections, the House voted to vacate the prior speaker-designate election and re-open nominations. Davy Carter (R-43rd) defeated Rice to become the first Republican Speaker since the Reconstruction era.

### Representatives

| District | Name | Party | First elected | Term-limited |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Prissy Hickerson | Rep | 2010 | |
| 2 | Lane Jean | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 3 | Brent Talley | Dem | 2012 | |
| 4 | Fonda Hawthorne | Dem | 2012 | |
| 5 | David Fielding | Dem | 2010 | 2026 |
| 6 | Matthew Shepherd | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 7 | John Baine | Dem | 2012 | |
| 8 | Jeff Wardlaw | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 9 | Sheilla E. Lampkin | Dem | 2010 | |
| 10 | Mike Holcomb | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 11 | Mark McElroy | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 12 | Chris Richey | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 13 | David Hillman | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 14 | Walls McCrary | Dem | 2008 | |
| 15 | Ken Bragg | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 16 | James L. Word | Dem | 2008 | 2014 |
| 17 | Henry "Hank" Wilkins, IV | Dem | 1998 | |
| 18 | Richard Womack | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 19 | Nate Steel | Dem | 2010 (special) | |
| 20 | Nate Bell | Rep | 2010 | |
| 21 | Terry Rice | Rep | 2008 | |
| 22 | Bruce Westerman | Rep | 2010 | |
| 23 | Ann V. Clemmer | Rep | 2008 | |
| 24 | Bruce Cozart | Rep | 2011 (special) | 2028 |
| 25 | John T. Vines | Dem | 2010 | 2016 |
| 26 | David Kizzia | Dem | 2012 | |
| 27 | Andy Mayberry | Rep | 2016 | 2032 |
| 28 | Kim Hammer | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 29 | Fredrick J. Love | Dem | 2010 | 2026 |
| 30 | Charles L. Armstrong | Dem | 2012 | |
| 31 | Andy Davis | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 32 | Allen Kerr | Rep | 2008 | |
| 33 | Warwick Sabin | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 34 | John Walker | Dem | 2010 | 2026 |
| 35 | John Charles Edwards | Dem | 2008 | |
| 36 | Darrin Williams | Dem | 2008 | 2014 |
| 37 | Eddie L. Armstrong | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 38 | Patti Julian | Dem | 2016 | 2032 |
| 39 | Mark Lowery | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 40 | Douglas House | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 41 | Jim Nickels | Dem | 2008 | |
| 42 | Mark Perry | Dem | 2008 | |
| 43 | Davy Carter | Rep | 2008 | |
| 44 | Joe Farrer | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 45 | Jeremy Gillam | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 46 | Mark Biviano | Rep | 2010 | |
| 47 | Jody Dickinson | Dem | 2008 | |
| 48 | Reginald Murdock | Dem | 2010 | 2026 |
| 49 | Marshall Wright | Dem | 2010 | |
| 50 | Fred Smith | Green | 2014 | 2030 |
| 51 | Deborah Ferguson | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 52 | John K. Hutchison | Rep | 2012 | |
| 53 | Homer Lenderman | Dem | 2010 | |
| 54 | Wes Wagner | Dem | 2012 | |
| 55 | Monte Hodges | Dem | 2012 | |
| 56 | Joe Jett | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 57 | Mary Broadway | Dem | 2012 | |
| 58 | Harold Copenhaver | Dem | 2012 | |
| 59 | Butch Wilkins | Dem | 2008 | |
| 60 | James Ratliff | Dem | 2010 | |
| 61 | Scott Baltz | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 62 | Tommy Wren | Dem | 2010 | |
| 63 | James McLean | Dem | 2008 | |
| 64 | John Payton | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 65 | Tommy Thompson | Dem | 2010 | |
| 66 | Josh Miller | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 67 | Stephen Meeks | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 68 | Robert E. Dale | Rep | 2008 | |
| 69 | Betty Overbey | Dem | 2010 | |
| 70 | David Meeks | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 71 | Andrea Lea | Rep | 2008 | |
| 72 | Stephen Magie | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 73 | John Catlett | Dem | 2010 | |
| 74 | Jon S. Eubanks | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 75 | Charlotte Vining Douglas | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 76 | Denny Altes | Rep | 1998 | |
| 77 | Stephanie Malone | Rep | 2008 | |
| 78 | George B. McGill | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 79 | Gary Deffenbaugh | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 80 | Charlene Fite | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 81 | Justin T. Harris | Rep | 2010 | |
| 82 | Bill Gossage | Rep | 2012 | |
| 83 | David L. Branscum | Rep | 2010 | |
| 84 | Charlie Collins | Rep | 2010 | 2026 |
| 85 | David Whitaker | Dem | 2012 | 2028 |
| 86 | Greg Leding | Dem | 2010 | 2026 |
| 87 | Jonathan Barnett | Rep | 2008 | 2014 |
| 88 | Randy Alexander | Rep | 2012 | |
| 89 | Micah S. Neal | Rep | 2012 | |
| 90 | Les "Skip" Carnine | Rep | 2008 | |
| 91 | Dan Douglas | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 92 | Mary L. Slinkard | Rep | 2008 | |
| 93 | Jim Dotson | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 94 | Debra M. Hobbs | Rep | 2008 | |
| 95 | Sue Scott | Rep | 2012 | |
| 96 | Duncan Baird | Rep | 2008 | 2014 |
| 97 | Bob Ballinger | Rep | 2012 | 2028 |
| 98 | John Burris | Rep | 2008 | |
| 99 | Kelley Linck | Rep | 2010 | |
| 100 | Karen S. Hopper | Rep | 2008 | |
