With the end of the 91st General Assembly and an Extraordinary Special Session concluded, this writer's notebook of tidbits from down Little Rock way is full to overflowing.
These tidbits often get lost in the shuffle of bigger policy issues.
So here are some of these gems.
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After a shift in power within the Democratic Party with the selection of House Minority Leader State Rep. Michael John Gray, D-Augusta, an opening appeared when Gray vacated that post to lead the Democrats.
State Rep. David Whitaker, D-Fayetteville, of District 85, which includes portions of Fayetteville, Farmington and some rural areas outside of Prairie Grove, was elected to fill Gray's spot. He is now the Minority Leader of the House Democrats. Ironically, Gray's opponent in the race for State Party Chair was a strong supporter of past Whitaker campaigns, Dense Garner of Fayetteville.
Whitaker, a former assistant Fayetteville city attorney, was a former assistant Democratic Whip in the House. Whitaker and his wife, Lisa, a state committee member, both strongly supported Gray in his bid for Party Chair.
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For all her efforts to bolster military retirees and especially for her bill to exempt military retirement pay from the Arkansas State Income Tax, State Rep. Charlene Fite, R-Van Buren, who hails from District 80, which includes western Washington County, Prairie Grove and Lincoln and the western half of Crawford County, was honored with the National Guard's highest civilian award.
She was awarded the Camp Joseph T. Robinson Medal of Merit following recent 188th Old Guard Breakfast in Fort Smith.
Fite was the primary sponsor of House Bill 1162, now Act 141, which created a state income tax exemption for military retirement and survivor benefits that directly affects retired service members and their families. Additionally, Act 141 has the potential to boost the state's economy by making Arkansas a more military- and veteran-friendly state.
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State Rep. Robin Lundstrum, R-Elm Springs, was lauded for her efforts on House Bill 1534, which was a bill to direct the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop a plan of action to address the prevention of unintended pregnancies among older unmarried teens on our college and university campuses.
This was a coalition of state representatives, mostly women, from both parties, including, state Rep. Deborah Ferguson, D-West Memphis; state Sen. Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock, and former state Rep. Ann Clemmer, who is now the interim director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.
The bill and the coalition of sponsors managed to keep this bill from partisan bickering and focus on the problems, students who have an unplanned pregnancy while in school face difficulties and obstacles in continuing their education.
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Just this week, although not-elected, but serving in a mighty way, First Lady Susan Hutchinson, was back in the news.
It seems the Governor's Private Office, at the Governor's Mansion, once over-run by mice, has been stripped to the bare studs and a cleaning of those rat-scented walls has begun.
We also know, by the news article, that the office, once repaired, draperies formerly used in the main house will be outfitted to the state's chief executive's office. The blue drapes and the color blue, the First Lady said, are the favorite of the governor.
Who knew? Well, she did.
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Of all the art, artists and even art apparently available on loan from the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, our First Lady wants to borrow some art -- and install a state-of-the-art security system for art work borrowed from Bob Jones University.
Few remember that Susan Hutchinson is an alumna of Bob Jones University. Something her husband seems to forget, he, too, graduated from the South Carolina college.
What are these Bob Jones art works? Well, the paintings are from the 14th to 19th century works.
But certainly, none like the "Dogs Playing Poker."
So what's not to like?
But wait a minute, isn't the Arkansas Governor's Mansion a secure spot for any art work with round-the-clock state troopers?
-- Maylon Rice is a former journalist who worked for several northwest Arkansas publications. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 05/17/2017