Wells, Pyle, Pennartz among busy area legislators

If judging solely by the number of bills filed and the number of bills enacted into law, the Fort Smith area has at least three legislators on track to record a successful session during the 87th General Assembly.

With just a few days remaining in a session scheduled to end April 9, Arkansas Reps. John Paul Wells, D-Paris, Beverly Pyle, R-Cedarville, and Tracy Pennartz, D-Fort Smith, are among the busiest legislators representing the Fort Smith region.

Wells filed 19 bills and has seen seven become law. One new act (Act 328) establishes a funding and staffing mechanism for Arkansas’ automated court management system.

Pennartz filed 15 bills with six now on the law books. One of the new laws (Act 27) seeks to clarify residency requirements of city directors.

Pyle filed 14 bills with 6 becoming law, including Act 316, which would require all disbursements of municipal funds to have adequate supporting documentation.

Jay Barth, professor of politics at Hendrix College, said the number of bills filed and the number of bills enacted into law “is a little bit of a blunt measure in that legislators have different styles.” Barth said some legislators will submit numerous bills and hope to get a few enacted into law, while other legislators focus on filing just a few bills and work to get each approved.

“Some legislators are very responsive to local issues and file local bills somewhat out of courtesy to local constituents,” Barth explained. “Those might not have statewide support and often die.”

Barth also said another measurement is to judge if legislators “are getting consequential legislation passed.”

Term-limits also have removed the old style in which legislators would wait a few sessions before aggressively pursuing legislative changes.

“Now we are seeing legislators get active early. They have to do that if they want to accomplish anything under term limits,” Barth said.

Rep. Steve Harrelson, D-Texarkana, has estimated fewer bills will be filed in this session than in previous sessions. In the 2007 session, 3,013 bills were filed; 3,351 in 2005; 3,081 in 2003; and 2,850 in 2001.

BILLS FILED, APPROVED
Rep. Frank Glidewell, R-Fort Smith
15 bills filed
0 bills enacted into law

Rep. Rick Green, R-Van Buren
13 bills filed
2 bills enacted into law

Rep. Steven Breedlove, D-Greenwood
11 bills filed
2 bills enacted into law

Rep. Stephanie Malone, R-Fort Smith
1 bill filed
0 bills enacted into law

Rep. Terry Rice, R-Waldron
0 bills filed

Sen. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith
31 bills filed
3 bills enacted into law

Sen. Ruth Whitaker, R-Cedarville
16 bills filed
2 bills enacted into law

Sen. Ed Wilkinson, D-Greenwood
5 bills filed
0 bills enacted into law