Senate assigns committees; House waiting for election results

The Arkansas House of Representatives postponed assigning committee members and chairs Friday (Nov. 6) pending the outcomes of two close elections in central Arkansas, while the Senate did make assignments.

Speaker of the House Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, said he decided to postpone the assignments after consulting with the House majority and minority leaders.

Two incumbents, Rep. Carlton Wing, R-North Little Rock, and Rep. Jim Sorvillo, R-Little Rock, were narrowly leading their races. In the District 38 race, Wing was leading Democrat Matthew Stallings, 50.39% to 49.61%, or by 108 votes out of 13,742 votes cast. In the District 32 race, Sorvillo was leading Democrat Ashley Hudson, 50.33% to 49.67%, or by 107 votes out of 16,257 cast. Absentee ballots in both races were being manually reviewed.

Shepherd said in an interview that Wing and Sorvillo have enough seniority that, if they lose the election, it would affect assignments for other members. He said the House Caucus will meet soon to make the selections.

Meanwhile, the Senate did meet Friday to make committee assignments.

Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Beebe, was named Senate chair of the Joint Budget Committee, while Sen. David Wallace, R-Leachville, was named vice chair. The membership is set by law according to seniority by congressional district.

Each member could choose two standing committees. The assignments are as follows:

STANDING COMMITTEES

Public Health, Welfare & Labor
Chair – Cecille Bledsoe, R-Rogers
Vice Chair – Sen. Scott Flippo, R-Bull Shoals
David Wallace, R-Leachville
Kim Hammer, R-Benton
Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs
Breanne Davis, R-Russellville
Sen.-elect Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro
Sen.-elect Ben Gilmore, R-Crossett

Education
Chair – Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View
Vice Chair – Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock
Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock
Lance Eads, R-Springdale
Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville
James Sturch, R-Batesville
Jane English, R-North Little Rock
Sen.-elect Charles Beckham, R-McNeil

Revenue & Tax
Chair – Bill Sample, R-Hot Springs
Vice Chair – Jonathan Dismang, R-Beebe
Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana
Mark Johnson, R-Little Rock
Larry Teague, D-Nashville
Jason Rapert, R-Conway
Ronald Caldwell, R-Wynne
Keith Ingram, D-West Memphis

Judiciary
Chair – Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale
Vice Chair – Stephanie Flowers, D-Pine Bluff
Jim Hendren, R-Gravette
Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch
Terry Rice, R-Waldron
Blake Johnson, R-Corning
Trent Garner, R-El Dorado
Bob Ballinger, R-Ozark

Agriculture, Forestry& Economic Development
Chair – Ronald Caldwell, R-Wynne
Vice Chair – Ricky Hill, R-Cabot
Bill Sample, R-Hot Springs
David Wallace, R-Leachville
Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville
James Sturch, R-Batesville
Sen.-elect Charles Beckham, R-McNeil
Sen.-elect Ben Gilmore, R-Crossett

Insurance & Commerce
Chair – Jim Hendren, R-Gravette
Vice Chair – Larry Teague, D-Nashville
Keith Ingram, D-West Memphis
Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock
Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View
Jonathan Dismang, R-Beebe
Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana
Mathew Pitsch, R-Fort Smith

City, County and Local Affairs
Chair – Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch
Vice Chair – Terry Rice, R-Waldron
Stephanie Flowers, D-Pine Bluff
Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale
Scott Flippo, R-Bull Shoals
Mark Johnson, R-Little Rock
Kim Hammer, R-Benton
Sen.-elect Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro

State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
Chair – Jason Rapert, R-Conway
Vice Chair – Trent Garner, R-El Dorado
Jane English, R-North Little Rock
Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs
Breanne Davis, R-Russellville
Bob Ballinger, R-Ozark
Cecille Bledsoe, R-Rogers
Sen.-elect Clarke Tucker, D-Little Rock

Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs
Chair – Blake Johnson, R-Corning
Vice Chair – Mathew Pitsch, R-Fort Smith
Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock
Lance Eads, R-Springdale
Ricky Hill, R-Cabot
Trent Garner, R-El Dorado
Jane English, R-North Little Rock
Sen.-elect Clarke Tucker, D-Little Rock

SELECT COMMITTEES

Rules
Chair – Lance Eads, R-Springdale
Vice Chair – James Sturch, R-Batesville
Cecille Bledsoe, R-Rogers
Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View
Ronald Caldwell, R-Wynne
Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch
Trent Garner, R-El Dorado
Ricky Hill, R-Cabot
Jason Rapert, R-Conway
Stephanie Flowers, D-Pine Bluff

Efficiency
Chair – Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs
Vice Chair – Breanne Davis, R-Russellville
Jonathan Dismang, R-Beebe
Mathew Pitsch, R-Fort Smith
Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock
Larry Teague, D-Nashville
Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock
Bill Sample, R-Hot Springs
Jane English, R-North Little Rock
Keith Ingram, D-West Memphis

JOINT COMMITTEES

Joint Performance Review
Chair – Jane English, R-North Little Rock
Vice Chair – Charles Beckham, R-McNeil
Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale
Jim Hendren, R-Gravette
Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana
Scott Flippo, R-Bull Shoals
Terry Rice, R-Waldron
Blake Johnson, R-Conway
Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro
Ben Gilmore, R-Crossett

Energy
Chair – Bob Ballinger, R-Ozark
Vice Chair – Mark Johnson, R-Little Rock
Stephanie Flowers, D-Pine Bluff
Ronald Caldwell, R-Wynne
Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch
Flippo, R-Bull Shoals
Terry Rice, R-Waldron
Blake Johnson, R-Corning
Trent Garner, R-El Dorado
Lance Eads, R-Springdale

Children & Youth
Chair – David Wallace, R-Leachville
Vice Chair – Clarke Tucker, D-Little Rock
Cecille Bledsoe, R-Rogers
Jonathan Dismang, R-Beebe
Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale
Jim Hendren, R-Gravette
Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs
Breanne Davis, R-Russellville
Bob Ballinger, R-Ozark
Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville

Retirement
Chair – Kim Hammer, R-Benton
Vice Chair – Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock
Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock
Larry Teague, D-Nashville
Jason Rapert, R-Conway
Bill Sample, R-Hot Springs
Keith Ingram, D-West Memphis
Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville
Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View
Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana

The Retirement Committee was the only committee where Democrats have as many senators, five, as Republicans. It is a joint committee that meets along with members of the House of Representatives.