Arkansas’ U.S. Senate candidates debate Supreme Court appointment

A discussion about appointing a new U.S. Supreme Court Justice, and “dark money” in Arkansas’ Supreme Court race were part of the discussion Saturday (Feb. 20) during a candidate forum in Jonesboro.

The Craighead County Farm Bureau and KAIT sponsored the forum with at least 50 candidates at the NEA District Fairgrounds. KAIT is a content partner with Talk Business and Politics.

Attending the forum four candidates for the United States Senate, incumbent U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark, Republican candidate Curtis Coleman, Democratic nominee Conner Eldridge and Libertarian Frank Gilbert. Also attending were candidates for the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Boozman, seeking a second term, spoke on mostly agricultural issues during his remarks. Boozman said he and Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, worked on getting the Farm Bill approved through Congress. The battle over the bill, which ended direct payments to farmers, did not end up as a partisan issue but a geographical issue, Boozman told the group.

Boozman said it was a debate between Midwest and Southern lawmakers over the payment issue, while an attempt last year to open up the bill to seek additional funding for the federal budget, failed.

“It is an example of Democrats and Republicans working together on an issue,” Boozman said.

Eldridge said the lack of Republicans and Democrats working together spurred his run for the Senate. Eldridge said the federal debt and deficit has nearly tripled in the past 15 years – a topic brought up by candidates on both sides of the aisle at the event.

“It is emblematic of a problem that should be done in an apolitical approach,” Eldridge said.

Eldridge, who stepped down as U.S. Prosecuting Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, said he would like to sponsor a bill requiring life sentences for people convicted in federal court of sexual abuse of young children.

Coleman said he was a preacher’s kid whose first job was chopping cotton. He then started a food company in central Arkansas, but said his business had to deal with government.

“It took us seven years to get our first regulatory approval,” Coleman said, noting it cost about $20 million to complete the project. “We sold off parts of our company to raise the capital needed.”

Boozman and Coleman agreed on the policy of appointing a new U.S. Supreme Court justice, while Eldridge said politics should play no role in the issue. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died Feb. 13 while on a hunting trip in Texas.

Boozman said there is precedent in not appointing a justice during an election year, citing efforts by the Democratic Party to block an appointment by President George W. Bush near the end of his term.

“Sen. (Charles) Schumer (D-N.Y.) screamed the loudest with Bush, and he had 18 months in office,” Boozman said to applause. “I oppose going forward and I believe the American people should have a voice in this.”

Eldridge reiterated his statement made this week on the issue.

“Not filling a vacancy on the Supreme Court because of partisan politics is just another example of what’s wrong with Washington,” Eldridge said this week. “Leaders in both parties should work together, put country over party and do their job. End of story.”

Eldridge said the political wrangling began when “Justice Scalia had been gone a couple of hours.”

ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT
The crowd of about 100 people also heard from Circuit Judge Dan Kemp, who is running for Chief Justice; as well Circuit Judge Shawn Womack and Clark Mason, who are running for position 5. Associate Justice Courtney Goodson was listed on the candidate list to be at the event, but did not appear.

Kemp said he made the decision to run after thought and prayer.

“We are at a critical time for our judiciary in Arkansas,” Kemp said, citing the corruption case of former Circuit Judge Mike Maggio as an example.

Kemp said he supports having a strong code of ethics for judges, having set rules for recusals in judicial cases and promoting integrity on the Supreme Court.

Womack cited his work as a eight years as a circuit judge and and 10 years as a lawmaker as reasons for voters to pick him. Womack, who said he does not believe in legislating from the bench, noted state government has three “different” but co-equal branches of government.

While there has been interest in the judicial races, Womack said a lot of the excitement for the primary has been with the presidential and legislative races, judicial races have a lot of impact.

Mason cited his 30 years as an lawyer and wanted to rid the state of so-called “dark money” as reasons to run. Calling the practice “problematic”, Mason said flyers have littered mailboxes around the state this campaign season.