Session Preview: Top 10 Legislators To Watch

Editor’s note: This list of state legislators to watch is part of our Legislative Preview, which can be found in the latest magazine edition of Talk Business & Politics at this link.

Every session brings a mix of old and new legislators to the table with some of the veterans hitting their grooves, while some surprises in the interim rise to the challenge.

The 90th General Assembly will see an unprecedented amount of power concentrated in the GOP with near supermajorities in both chambers. The Senate will house 23 Republicans versus 11 Democrats (there is a special election to fill a vacancy in one seat), and in the House Republicans will rule Democrats 64-36.

By virtue of their positions, two leaders will naturally be the center of attention in the regular session: Speaker of the House Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, and Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy.

Gillam, a berry farmer, has garnered the respect of this colleagues on three sides of the aisle: returning Republicans, rookie Republicans and the Democratic caucus. He’s easy-going but assertive, and has the reputation for exceptional attention to detail. He’ll also operate in a bipartisan fashion on many issues, saying he intends to keep a promise to appoint Democrats to chairs and vice-chairs in a representative fashion.

Gillam and his Senate counterpart, Sen. Dismang, have agreed to aim for an 85-day session and the two chamber leaders appear to be in pretty lockstep on many issues.

Dismang, an accountant by trade, knows his numbers. He won’t have to worry much about them on floor votes with such a big majority in the Senate with the exception of the private option. As one of the chief architects of the PO, Dismang says it’s too early to tell what modifications may come.

He survived a small leadership coup in November after the historic elections, but no one questions that he’s in charge of the upper chamber. Dismang also has a close relationship with Gov. Asa Hutchinson, his chief of staff and former State Senator Michael Lamoureux, and his budget director and former State Rep. Duncan Baird.

Dismang’s and Gillam’s voices will be the legislative equivalent of “market moving.” When they speak, their words will be dissected for clues and certainly front page material.

Here are our “Top 10 Legislators To Watch” plus our Honorable Mention list:

SENATE
Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock. One of the few liberal voices in the Legislature, look for Elliott to have a big platform when she chooses to argue against a number of conservative causes. She’s likely to lose many of those battles, but she’s respected for her against-the-grain thinking and her willingness to take on a good fight.

Jane English, R-North Little Rock. A leader in workforce education, English was the swing vote on the private option funding in the Senate in the 2014 fiscal session. The tradeoff was a massive overhaul in workforce training logic. This session, the efforts of the last year are expected to result in legislation and leadership from English.

Jim Hendren, R-Gravette. He’s been a crusader on reforms to the public school employees insurance program – a huge issue to continue to tackle in 2015. Hendren is also coming into his own as a leader and potential swing vote on key issues. With Uncle Asa in the governor’s office, he will become a crucial floor leader on many important issues in the Senate.

Bryan King, R-Green Forest. King likes to buck leadership whether Democrats or Republicans are in charge. With nearly eight years of legislative experience, he is one of the veterans at the capitol and he knows his way around. King is often a voice of pure conservatism, not always known for compromise, and with stronger ranks from the Republican right, expect King to have more sway than ever.

David Sanders, R-Little Rock. Active on many issues – including the private option, other health care issues, prison reform, taxes, the budget, and economic development – Sanders wades deep on public policy subjects. He’s persuasive behind-the-scenes and charismatic in public forums. Look for Sanders to do a lot of heavy lifting in crafting legislation on many big topics in the session.

Larry Teague, D-Nashville. Up for another stint as Joint Budget Committee Chairman, Teague brings a wealth of experience on budget matters to the table. He operates in a pretty non-partisan manner, which will serve him well now that Democrats are in the major minority. Balancing a budget with tax cuts, the private option, and big needs for items like prisons, Teague’s experience will be useful.

HOUSE
Ken Bragg, R-Sheridan. The House Majority Leader will have his hands full with 34 new GOP members in the Arkansas House, and just because Republicans have 64 in the 100-member chamber, there will be some battles, particularly over private option funding. But on the biggest of issues tied to the Republican platform, Bragg should have a pretty easy time keeping party members in line.

Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville. Active on tax reform issues, Collins will be influential on a number of other topics too. Heading into his third term, younger members will find him an oracle of observations and advice. Collins studies the issues and loves the art of the debate, which should serve him and the House well in 2015.

Warwick Sabin, D-Little Rock. Sabin represents one of the most liberal districts in Arkansas, and he’ll vote accordingly on several issues, but he’s worked in bipartisan fashion too. He also has been knee-deep in ethics reform. Expect him to hold a high-profile stance (along with Senate co-sponsor Jon Woods, R-Springdale) on the legislation to enact Issue No. 3, the ethics reform and term limits extension measure passed by voters in November.

Marshall Wright, D-Forrest City. The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee under Speaker Davy Carter, R-Cabot, Wright has worked across party lines often. He’s also a close personal friend of incoming Speaker Gillam. Look for Wright to be called upon as a leader of the Democratic caucus and the House at large.

HONORABLE MENTION
Rep. Eddie Armstrong, D-North Little Rock
Rep. Nate Bell, R-Mena
Rep. Joe Farrer, R-Austin
Sen. Jake Files, R-Fort Smith
Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, R-Little Rock
Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View
Rep. Lane Jean, R-Magnolia
Rep. Joe Jett, D-Success
Rep. Reginald Murdock, D-Marianna
Rep. Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado
Sen. Eddie Joe Williams, R-Cabot
Sen. Jon Woods, R-Springdale

Inevitably, there will be surprises in the 90th General Assembly. At the conclusion of the 2015 regular session, we’ll put out our “Top 10 Legislators” list, which is sure to include a few lawmakers who rise to the top.