Northwest Delegation Holds Key Spots

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(To see a complete list of the state legislators from Northwest Arkansas, click here.)

Six of the eight state senators from Arkansas’ northwest corridor sit on the Arkansas General Assembly’s Joint Budget Committee. Those are crucial seats in what’s expected to be a tight state budget session.

Six of the 21 state representatives whose districts intersect with the six-county area — Benton, Carroll, Washington, Madison, Crawford and Sebastian counties — are also on the committee.

A complete list of Northwest Arkansas’ representatives is on Page 20. There are 35 state senators that each represent a district with about 76,383 people, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. The 100 state house members each have a district with an average population of 25,734.

The General Assembly now meets annually in Little Rock. Prior to 2009, it met only on odd numbered years. Last November, voters approved a constitutional amendment to provide an annual assembly.

The Northwest Arkansas Business Journal traditionally publishes the list of state legislators with districts in its coverage area as a service to local business and industry. The six-county area represents the most populous half of the 12-county 3rd U.S. Congressional District of Arkansas.

To best determine which lawmakers represent your business or community, visit www.arkleg.state.ar.us and click to the individual Arkansas Senate and House hyperlinks. Interactive searches by map, roster and district number are available.

Northwest regional legislators chair 11 committees this session. Of those, two are chairs over joint committees including state Sen. Kim Hendren, R-Gravette, with the Joint Energy Committee and state Rep. Jon Woods, R-Springdale, on the Joint Advanced Communications & Information Technology Committee.

The session began Jan. 12 and will last for 60 business days unless the General Assembly votes to extend the period.